THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


IN  MEMORY  OF 
MRS.  VIRGINIA  B.  SPORER 


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Martin  Lntlier  in  his  Study. 


The  Reformation  Series. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 


TALKS  ABOUT 


\t  Reformation  in  (Sermanj. 


BY 


MARY  C.  MILLER, 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  ARNOLD-FAMILY  SERIES,"  "  THE  BASKET 
OF  BARLEY-LOAVES,"  ETC. 


MB.  ARNOLD'S   STORIES. 
IN   GENEVA   AND  FRANCE. 
GRANDMOTHER  MORRIS'S  BUNDLE. 
JUDGE   GREENE'S    NOTEBOOK. 


PHILADELPHIA  : 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 

No.  1334  CHESTNUT  STREET. 


COPYRIGHT,    1884,    BY 

THE  TRUSTEES  OF  THE 

PKESBYTEEIAN  BOABD  OF  PUBLICATION. 


ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED. 


WESTCOTT  &  THOMSON, 
Stereotype™  and  Electrotypers,  Philada. 


PREFACE. 


THE  author  of  the  "Arnold-Family  Series  "  now  enters 
upon  a  new  series  of  volumes  on  the  events  of  the  great 
Reformation  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  clearness, 
vivacity  and  naturalness  with  which  facts  were  pre- 
sented in  the  former  volumes  made  them  attractive 
whilst  instructive  ;  the  same  qualities  will  ensure  popu- 
larity for  the  present  Series. 

In  this  first  book  of  the  four  proposed  to  be  issued 
— Mr.  Arnold's  Stories — Miss  Miller  notes  the  first  glim- 
merings of  reformation-light  in  the  British  Islands,  and 
then  takes  up  the  youth  and  the  conversion  of  Martin 
Luther  and  follows  the  story  of  the  life  and  the  work 
of  this  great  apostle  of  the  gospel  in  Germany,  closing 
with  the  closing  scenes  in  his  life  and  his  peaceful  death. 

Originality  is  not  claimed  for  the  statements  ;  for  who 
can  be  original  with  regard  to  the  facts  of  the  life 
of  Luther  ?  The  works  of  Merle  d' Aubigne  and  others 
have  been  freely  drawn  from,  but  it  is  hoped  that  the 
familiar  form  in  which  the  old  facts  are  here  presented 
will  make  them  attractive  to  many  who  would  not  read 
more  ambitious  volumes. 

"As  for  the  truth,  it  endureth,  and  is  always  strong ; 
it  liveth  and  conquereth  evermore." 

J.  W.  D. 

3 


2039163 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  GRANDMOTHER  MORRIS 5 

II.  CULDEES  ;  JOHN  WICKLIFFE  ;  FIRST  GLIMMER- 
ING OF  EEFORMATION  LIGHT 14 

III.  THE  YOUTH  AND  CONVERSION  OF  LUTHER 25 

IV.  LUTHER  AT    HOME;    PENANCES   AND    INDUL- 

GENCES      54 

V.  TETZEL;  LETTERS  OF  INDULGENCE;  THESES....    72 

VI.  PHILIP  MELANCHTHON 100 

VII.  LUTHER  GOES  TO  AUGSBURG 110 

VIII.  LUTHER  BEFORE  THE  LEGATE,  CARDINAL  DE 

Vio 120 

IX.  MODERN  ROMANISTS;  CRUELTIES  AND  SUPER- 
STITIONS   155 

X.  MILTITZ:    MAXIMILIAN'S   THRONE;   WILLIAM 

COBBETT;  A  LETTER  FROM  GOD  ;  GALILEO 173 

XI.  DR.  ECK  AND  LUTHER  DISPUTING  AT  LEIPSIC.  197 
XII.  THE    PAPAL    BULL  ;    ULRIC    ZWINGLE  ;    LU- 
THER'S BOLD   WORDS;    LUTHER  EXCOMMU- 
NICATED   202 

XIII.  NUNS  AND  CONVENTS 231 

XIV.  THE  DIET  OF  WORMS 237 

XV.  LUTHER  IN  THE  WARTBURG;  THE  REFORMA- 
TION GAINING  GROUND 266 

XVI.  LUTHER  AT  WITTEMBERG  ;  IGNATIUS  LOYOLA.  293 
XVII.  TROUBLES  IN  GERMANY  ;  ADRIAN  VI. ;  INSUR- 
RECTION   OF    PEASANTS;    DEATH    OF    THE 

ELECTOR  FREDERICK 302 

XVIII.  LUTHER'S   MARRIAGE  ;    THE  DIET  OF  SPIRES  ; 

AUGSBURG  CONFESSION 317 

XIX.  THE  CLOSING  SCENES  OF  LUTHER'S  LIFE 333 

4 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 


CHAPTER    I. 

GRANDMOTHER  MORRIS. 

pRANDMOTHER  MORRIS  was  dead. 
^  There  was  no  gloom  in  the  house  when 
she  died,  though  they  all  loved  her  very 
much.  Eddie  said,  "  We  won't  cry,  be- 
cause grandma's  gone  to  heaven ;"  and  Mrs. 
Arnold  said,  "  I  cannot  wish  her  back." 

Why  should  they  wish  grandma  to  come 
back?  She  had  lived  a  long  and  useful 
life,  and  had  gone  home  to  get  the  bright 
crown  which  the  Lord  promises  to  each  one 
who  loves  him.  They  all  missed  her  very 
much,  but  they  thought  of  the  blessed  rest 
to  which  she  had  gone. 

One  day,  after  Grandmother  Morris  had 
left  them,  Mrs.  Arnold  opened  a  little  trunk 
which  held  Grandmother  Morris's  papers ; 
and  there  she  found —  What  do  you  think  ? 
A  bundle  of  paper  written  in  a  small,  clear 


6  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

hand,  and  the  paper  looked  very  old.  On 
the  outside  Mrs.  Arnold  read,  "Stories  for 
my  Grandchildren." 

Mrs.  Arnold  sat  down,  and,  as  she  held 
the  bundle  in  her  hand,  said, 

"  Yes,  mother  told  me  about  this.  I  am 
so  glad  she  has  written  these  for  my  chil- 
dren !  I  hope  my  children  will  all  be  as 
good  and  useful  as  she  was." 

She  sat  still  for  a  long  time,  thinking 
about  Grandmother  Morris  when  she  was 
young  and  strong.  She  remembered  the 
day  when  she  kissed  her  good-bye,  and 
could  even  remember  the  very  words  of 
parting :  "  The  Lord  bless  thee  and  keep 
thee,  my  child ;  and  if  we  never  meet  again, 
may  the  covenant  God  be  yours  for  ever !" 
Then  Mrs.  Arnold  was  gently  led  off  the 
vessel,  and,  standing  on  the  wharf,  she  blind- 
ly saw  through  her  tears  the  form  of  her 
mother  growing  dimmer  and  dimmer  as  the 
ship  sped  back  to  the  heathen,  as  if  in  haste 
to  take  her  mother  and  her  father  to  tell 
the  good  news  of  a  Saviour  to  those  who 
had  not  yet  heard  of  him. 

"  How  slowly  it  starts !"  said  some   one 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  " 

standing  near.  Mrs.  Arnold  thought  she 
had  never  seen  a  ship  sail  so  swiftly.  And 
then  she  heard  another  voice  say,  "  I  am  so 
glad  to  have  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  go  back ! 
They  seem  devoted  to  their  work.  I  am 
sure  they  must  do  a  great  deal  of  good." 

"  Glad  to  have  them  go  back  I"  Mrs.  Ar- 
nold cried  out,  in  the  bitterness  of  her  heart. 
"  You  would  not  be  glad  if  it  were  your 
mother ;"  and  then  she  sobbed  as  if  her 
heart  would  break.  Every  one  within  sound 
of  her  voice  turned  to  look  at  her,  and  her 
friends  led  her  back  to  the  carriage,  where 
she  cried  aloud  until  she  reached  her  new 
home.  She  was  then  only  twelve  years  old. 
How  distinctly  she  recalled  it !  How  often 
had  she  thought  about  that  sorrowful  part- 
ing! 

The  day  grandmother  died  she  said  to 
Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Lucretia,  we  must  part  to-day,  but  it 
must  not  be  a  sorrowful  parting.  Do  you 
remember,  my  child,  the  day  your  father 
and  I  left  you  to  return  to  India?" 

And  Mrs.  Arnold  answered, 

"Yes,  mother;  I  can  never  forget  that." 


8  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"Then  I  was  going  to  my  work." 

"Yes,  mother,  and  now  you  are  going 
to  your  reward,"  answered  Mrs.  Arnold. 

But  her  mother  did  not  seem  to  hear ; 
her  mind  wandered,  and  she  murmured, 

"  O  God  of  the  covenant,  keep  my  little 
Lucretia  and  give  me  strength  and  cour- 
age to  go  back  to  my  poor  people  in  India. 
Dear  little  Jumme !  I  wonder  if  she  remem- 
bers all  I  told  her  ?  I  hope  she  will  keep 
on  praying  for  her  father,  who  beats  her 
so  horribly." 

"  Mother,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold,  "  do  you  not 
remember  that  you  had  a  letter  from  Jum- 
me, and  that  she  told  you  her  father  and 
mother  were  converted  and  she  herself  had 
become  a  Bible-reader?" 

"Is  it  so?"  said  grandmother,  wonder- 
ingly.  "  Does  not  her  father  beat  the  poor 
little  thing  any  more?" 

"  No,  mother ;  Jumme  is  a  woman  now. 
That  was  thirty  years  ago." 

"  Was  it,  child  ?  And  you  are  Lucre- 
tia?" 

"Why,  yes,  mother;  do  you  not  know 
me?" 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  9 

"  Oil  yes,  child ;  I  must  have  been  dream- 
ing. I  am  tired  now ;  kiss  me,  Lucretia, 
and  let  me  go  to  sleep." 

Mrs.  Arnold  kissed  her  mother  and  re- 
mained very  quiet. 

Grandmother  folded  her  hands  and  seemed 
to  sleep.  Several  times  she  stirred,  and  once, 
in  a  low  tone,  she  chanted  something  in  the 
strange  musical  language  she  had  once  used 
so  familiarly. 

Grandmother  awoke  in  heaven. 

"Mother,  tea's  ready,"  called  Charlie, 
from  the  foot  of  the  stairs. 

Mrs.  Arnold  started,  wondering  how  long 
she  had  been  sitting  there.  She  still  held 
the  bundle  of  old  papers,  and  she  locked 
the  little  trunk  without  putting  it  back. 
She  noticed  that  it  had  grown  dark  since 
she  had  opened  the  trunk. 

Mrs.  Arnold  came  down  to  tea  bringing 
the  papers  with  her ;  and  when  she  told  the 
children  that  these  were  the  stories  their 
grandmother  had  written  for  them,  they 
were  delighted,  and  Mr.  Arnold  promised 
to  read  them  after  tea. 


10  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  I'm  sure  they  are  splendid,"  said  Mag- 
gie ;  "  grandmother's  stories  always  were. 
Lillie'  Ray  hasn't  any  grandmother,  and  I 
tell  her  she  does  not  know  what  she  misses." 

"  You  haven't  any  now,  either,"  said 
Charlie. 

"Well,  it  does  not  seem  exactly  as  if  I 
hadn't,"  said  Maggie;  "I  can  think  about 
her  stories  and  look  at  the  presents  she  gave 
me.  And  sometimes,"  here  Maggie's  voice 
sank  almost  to  a  whisper — "sometimes  it 
seems  as  if  she  were  close  by  me." 

"So  it  seems  to  me,  Maggie,"  said  her 
mother. 

"  It  will  be  'most  like  having  her  here 
again,"  said  Josie,  "  when  we  hear  her  sto- 
ries." 

"  I  suppose  they  tell  all  about  her  life  in 
India?" 

"  Yes;  she  wrote  them  after  she  returned," 
said  Mrs.  Arnold.  "  She  did  not  seem  to 
know  what  to  do  with  herself  at  first,  and 
as  she  gained  strength  I  proposed  writing 
the  story  of  her  life. — You,  Stephen,  were 
a  very  little  boy  then,  and  Josie  was  a 
baby." 


MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  11 

"  Why  did  she  come  home  from  India, 
mother  ?"  asked  Stephen.  "  Was  she  too 
old  to  do  any  more  good  there?" 

"She  was  only  sixty-two,  Stephen,  but 
the  heat  of  India  and  overwork  made  her 
seem  much  older  than  that,  and  after  fa- 
ther's death  she  had  an  attack  of  fever 
which  brought  her  very  near  to  the  grave. 
The  doctor  said  she  would  never  again  be 
strong  enough  to  work  there  and  the  only 
hope  for  her  was  to  come  home." 

"  You  were  glad  to  have  her  come  home, 
I  know,  mother,"  said  Josie. 

"  Indeed  she  was,  Josie,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

Tea  over,  Mr.  Arnold  carefully  unrolled 
the  papers,  glanced  over  some  of  them, 
and  then  said, 

"  Why,  Lucretia,  there  is  nothing  about 
India  here.  It  seems  to  be  about  Scotland 
and  Denmark  and  Norway." 

The  children  looked  disappointed,  except- 
ing Charlie,  who  always  was  ready  to  hear 
about  strange  countries. 

Mrs.  Arnold  said, 

"  Oh,  I  am  very  glad." 

"Why,   mother,    I   didn't    know   grand- 


12  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

mother  ever  went  to  those  countries,"  said 
Stephen. 

"  She  never  did,  Stephen ;  but  these  must 
be  stories  which  were  told  by  her  grand- 
parents, and  perhaps  by  her  father.  I  am 
sure  they  will  interest  you." 

"  Her  mother's  mother  was  Scotch,  I  be- 
lieve you  said,  Lucretia?" 

"Yes,  and  her  father's  ancestors  were 
Scandinavians,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"Who  are  they?"  asked  Maggie,  with 
surprise.  "  I  never  heard  of  them  before." 

"•That's  because  you're  a  girl,"  said  Ste- 
phen, contemptuously,  "and  never  studied 
history." 

Charlie  gave  a  little  grunt  at  this,  and 
said, 

"  Girls  don't  know  much,  any  way." 

Their  father  reproved  them  both  for 
this.  He  reminded  Stephen  that  when  he 
was  Maggie's  age  he  did  not  know  any  more 
than  Maggie.  And  he  added, 

"  When  you  are  a  little  older,  Stephen,  I 
hope  you  will  find  out  how  little  you  do 
know,  and  then  you  will  be  more  patient 
with  others." 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  13 

Mr.  Arnold  saw  that  Stephen  looked  thor- 
oughly ashamed,  so  he  said  no  more  to  him, 
but,  turning  to  Maggie,  told  her  that  the 
people  who  lived  in  Denmark,  Sweden  and 
Norway  were  called  Scandinavians. 

Maggie  was  so  pleased  with  the  rebuke 
papa  had  given  Stephen  that  her  eyes  fair- 
ly danced  with  delight,  and  she  wondered 
why  he  had  not  scolded  Charlie  at  the  same 
time.  Her  papa  never  made  fun  of  her  for 
asking  questions ;  he  was  "just  the  nicest 
papa  in  the  world." 

"And  are  grandma's  stories  about  the 
Scan —  I  forget  it.  Papa,  what  do  you 
call  them,  again?" 

"  S,  c,  a,  n,  scan ;  d,  i,  di ;  n,  a,  na ;  v,  i, 
vi;  a,  n,  s,  ans — Scandinavians.  Spell  it 
after  me,  Maggie." 

Maggie  did  so,  several  times;  and  then 
her  father  picked  up  and  unrolled  a  sheet 
that  had  curled  itself  up  as  soon  as  he 
dropped  it,  and  began  to  read. 


CHAPTER  II. 

CULDEES.—JOHN  WICKLIFFE. 

"  F  AM  going  to  tell  my  grandchildren 
J-  stories  which  my  grandmother  told 
me." 

"What  a  memory  grandmother  must 
have  had!"  said  Stephen,  interrupting  his 
father. 

"Wait  a  moment,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 
"She  explains  that;"  and  he  continued 
reading : 

"  Not  that  I  have  remembered  every  word 
of  what  she  told  me  so  long  ago.  But  as, 
in  later  years,  I  read  the  history  of  Scot- 
land, these  stories  came  back  to  me  with 
more  or  less  distinctness.  I  remember  she 
used  to  tell  me  about  the  Culdees  away  back 
in  the  second,  third  and  part  of  the  fourth 
centuries.  These  people,  having  been  driven 
by  persecution  from  the  southern  part  of 
Great  Britain,  took  refuge  in  Scotland. 
They  built  for  themselves  humble  and  soli- 

14 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  15 

tary  hermitages  on  the  steep  mountains  or 
in  the  green  valleys,  and  devoted  themselves 
to  the  service  of  God.  They  instructed  the 
ignorant  and  strengthened  the  weak.  In 
the  Gaelic  tongue  they  were  called  Gille  De 
— servants  of  God.  In  Latin  their  name 
was  Cultores  Dei — worshipers  of  God;  and 
here  we  find  whence  comes  their  name,  Cul- 
dees." 

Stephen  looked  very  wise  over  this.  He 
was  very  much  interested  in  the  study  of 
words. 

"  In  token  of  respect  to  the  Culdees,  their 
cells  were,  after  their  death,  turned  into 
churches.  Several  hundred  years  passed 
away.  The  influence  of  the  Culdees  grew 
less  and  less.  The  gospel  light  became 
dimmer  and  dimmer,  until  it  was  like  a 
mere  speck,  a  feeble  glimmer. 

"  I  must  tell  you  about  St.  Margaret,  the 
Saxon  wife  of  the  Celtic  king  Malcolm  III. 
— or  Malcolm  Canmore,  as  he  was  called — 
who  lived  in  the  Middle  Ages.  Margaret 
was  a  woman  of  high  intellectual  endow- 
ments and  earnest  piety.  It  had  been  her 
wish  to  enter  a  nunnery  and  spend  her  whole 


16  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

life  in  devotion ;  and  when  she  became  a 
queen,  she  took  under  her  special  care  the 
interests  of  religion. 

"  Under  Margaret's  reign  Romanism  was 
greatly  advanced  in  the  kingdom.  The  old 
doctrines  taught  by  the  Culdees  were  heret- 
ical in  her  eyes.  She  called  councils  of  the 
Scottish  clergy,  often  appearing  in  person 
in  these  assemblies  and  arguing  in  her  own 
Saxon  language,  while  her  husband,  with  his 
native  Gaelic,  acted  as  interpreter.  The 
king  sustained  the  queen  and  added  his 
royal  sanction.  But  the  Saxon  party  was 
hated  by  the  Celtic  population ;  and  when 
Malcolm  died,  Margaret's  sons  were  denied 
the  throne,  and  as  soon  as  the  Scottish  peo- 
ple had  secured  control  of  Church  affairs 
they  rejected  almost  all  the  changes  Mar- 
garet had  made. 

"  It  used  to  be  the  custom  in  the  early 
Celtic  Church  to  keep  Saturday,  the  Jewish 
Sabbath,  as  a  day  of  rest  from  labor,  and 
Sunday  as  a  day  of  rejoicing  in  memory 
of  the  Lord's  resurrection.  They  under- 
stood the  commandment  to  mean  that  they 
must  rest  from  work  on  the  seventh  day, 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  17 

instead  of  on  the  resurrection-day.  Queen 
Margaret  insisted  upon  the  single  and  strict 
observance  of  the  Lord's  day.  People  and 
clergy  submitted,  but  without  giving  up 
their  reverence  for  Saturday,  which  soon 
became  a  half  holy  day  preparatory  for 
Sunday. 

"  Queen  Margaret  was  the  first  among  the 
sovereigns  of  Scotland  to  interfere  in  spirit- 
ual matters,  and  Rome  rewarded  her  for  her 
services  by  making  her  a  saint. 

"After  this  we  read  of  monks  and  nuns 
imported  into  Scotland  from  abroad.  Mon- 
asteries and  abbeys  were  erected,  and  a  large 
portion  of  the  best  land  in  the  country  came 
into  the  hands  of  these  foreign  monks  and 
nuns.  Papacy  spread  its  wings  over  the 
country.  A  second  reinforcement  of  friars 
brought  in  a  number  of  Dominicans  and 
Franciscans.  The  pope  received  a  large 
revenue  from  Scotland,  and  his  hand  was 
quite  heavy  upon  the  people.  This  was  in 
the  thirteenth  century. 

"  In  the  fourteenth  century  God  raised 
up  a  Reformer  in  England — John  Wickliffe. 
One  of  his  followers,  John  Resby,  came  into 


18  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Scotland,  preaching  Christ.  'The  pope  is 
nothing/  he  dared  to  say.  John  Resby  had 
to  suffer  death  for  putting  Christ  before  the 
pope." 

"  How  dreadful !"  exclaimed  Maggie. 

"  Oh,  that's  nothing,"  said  Charlie ;  "they 
did  that  lots  of  times." 

"  Did  what,  Charlie  ?"  inquired  his  father, 
giving  him  a  curious  look. 

"  Burnt  people  for  believing  such  things," 
said  Charlie. 

"  I  think  you  wouldn't  have  called  it  noth- 
ing if  you  had  been  John  Resby,"  remarked 
Stephen. 

Mr.  Arnold  continued  reading: 

"The  Lollards,  the  disciples  of  Wicliffe, 
gave  the  second  impulse  to  the  Reforma- 
tion." 

"  Did  they  call  the  disciples  of  Wickliffe 
'Lollards'?"  asked  Charlie. 

"Yes,"  answered  Mr.  Arnold. — "Soon 
after  John  Resby's  day  Paul  Crawar  came 
from  Prague  into  Scotland.  His  preaching 
was  no  more  acceptable  than  Resby's.  He 
was  led  to  the  stake  to  be  burned.  This 
bold  Bohemian,  with  the  fire  kindling  at 


ME.  AENOLD'S  STOEIES.  19 

his  feet,  told  the  priests  who  stood  around 
him  that  they  were  enemies  of  the  truth. 
'  Generation  of  Satan,'  he  said,  '  you,  like 
your  fathers,  are  enemies  of  the  truth.'  To 
prevent  the  crowd  who  gathered  at  the  exe- 
cution from  hearing  any  more  such  bold 
words,  the  priests  ordered  a  ball  of  brass 
put  into  the  martyr's  mouth,  and  in  silence 
the  spirit  of  Paul  Crawar  escaped  from  his 
tortured  body  and  went  up  into  the  pres- 
ence of  his  God. 

"  But  some  of  Paul  Crawar's  words  spoken 
from  the  pulpit  made  a  deep  impression  on 
the  heart  of  the  archbishop,  who  was  a 
nephew  of  James  I.  This  archbishop  of 
St.  Andrew's — Patrick  Graham  by  name — 
was  a  great  and  good  man.  The  word  of 
God  took  deep  root  in  his  heart.  He 
thought  to  reform  the  Church,  but  the 
anger  of  priests  and  bishops  rose  against 
him,  and  he  was  sent  to  prison  for  life." 

"There  goes  three  already,"  exclaimed 
Charlie — "  John  Resby,  Paul  Crawar  and 
Patrick  Graham.  How  many  more  will 
we  have  before  we  get  through?" 

Mr.  Arnold  continued : 


20  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"After  this  came  struggles  between  kings 
and  nobles.  Priests  provoked  kings  to  fight 
against  nobles,  and  through  the  reigns  of 
James  II.  and  III.  of  Scotland  these  strug- 
gles continued.  But  a  change  came  in  the 
reign  of  James  IV.  He  thought  the  nobles 
the  ornament  and  strength  of  Scotland. 

"And  now  appears  the  first  glimmering 
of  the  Reformation  light.  Some  pious  men 
began  to  say  openly  that  the  pope,  who  pre- 
tends to  be  greater  than  God,  is  against  God. 
The  priests  say  the  bread  in  the  sacrament 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  changes  into  Christ's 
body ;  these  men  declared  it  did  not  change. 
The  priests  say  priests  must  not  marry ;  these 
men  say  they  may.  Of  course  the  anger  of 
the  Romish  Church  fell  on  those  who  dared 
to  think  and  say  these  things. 

"The  great  and  wealthy  landholders  in 
Scotland  were  called  lairds  ('lords').  I 
must  tell  you  about  one  of  these  lairds, 
whose  name  was  John  Campbell.  He  was 
not  naturally  a  brave  man,  but  he  was  very 
kind  and  merciful  to  the  poor ;  and,  being 
fully  impressed  with  the  truth  of  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ,  he  did  what  he  could  to  pro- 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  21 

tect  those  who  opposed  Romanism.  His 
wife  was  well  acquainted  with  Bible  truth, 
and  every  morning  the  family  and  the  ser- 
vants assembled  in  a  room  of  the  mansion, 
while  a  priest  who  acted  as  their  chaplain 
read  and  explained  the  New  Testament. 
The  Testament  was  a  very  rare  book  at 
that  time.  After  worship  and  breakfast 
the  Campbells  used  to  visit  the  sick  and 
the  poor.  At  dinner  they  invited  neighbors 
and  friends — monks  as  well  as  gentlefolks. 

"  One  day  the  monks,  suspecting  John 
Campbell  of  heresy,  asked  crafty  questions 
until  they  led  him  to  say  things  they  called 
heretical.  They  hastened  from  the  dinner- 
table  to  denounce  the  laird  of  Cessnock 
and  his  wife,  and  their  lives  were  in  great 
danger. 

"  The  king  of  Scotland  at  this  time  was 
James  IV.,  who  married  Margaret  Tudor, 
daughter  of  Henry  VII.  of  England.  As 
this  king  looked  back  upon  his  past  life  he 
remembered  with  remorse  his  great  sins,  and 
he  had  no  peace  because  he  did  not  believe 
in  the  blood  of  Jesus  washing  away  the 
'stains  of  sins  that  are  past;'  so  he  tried 


22  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

by  acts  of  justice  to  make  amends  for  his 
unrighteousness. 

"  Campbell  appealed  to  the  king  to  pro- 
tect him.  The  king  called  Campbell  and 
the  monks  to  appear  before  him.  The  laird 
was  timid  before  the  monks,  but  the  laird's 
wife,  who  went  with  him,  was  full  of  courage. 
When  the  king  requested  her  to  speak,  she 
answered  the  monks  boldly  and  fully  out 
of  the  Bible  she  knew  so  well.  The  king 
then  clearly  saw  the  falsehoods  of  the  monks, 
and  he  declared  to  them  that  if  ever  again 
they  persecuted  honest  people  they  should 
be  severely  punished.  He  praised  the  lady 
for  her  part  in  this  matter,  and  presented 
the  laird  with  the  revenues  of  several  vil- 
lages. 

"  The  Campbells  joyfully  went  home, 
while  the  monks  were  filled  with  shame 
and  vexation.  Others  were  accused  by  the 
monks  at  this  time,  but  unsuccessfully. 

"This  happened  about  the  year  1512 — 
the  year  in  which  Luther,  toiling  up  Pilate's 
Staircase  at  Rome,  heard  these  words  sound- 
ing in  his  heart :  '  Now  the  just  shall  live 
by  faith.' " 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  23 

"I  know  about  that,"  exclaimed  Charlie. 

"So  do  I,"  responded  Maggie. 

Mr.  Arnold  laid  down  the  roll  of  papers 
and  looked  from  one  to  the  other,  but  said 
nothing. 

After  a  pause  Maggie  said, 

"  Papa,  what  are  you  thinking  about  ?" 

"  I  was  thinking  about  making  a  bundle 
of  Reformation  stories  for  you." 

At  this  proposal  mother  and  all  joyfully 
exclaimed, 

"Oh,  do!" 

"  When  will  they  be  ready  ?"  asked  Paul. 

Father  smiled  and  said, 

"Wait  till  grandma's  bundle  has  become 
exhausted." 

"  I  hope  your  bundle  will  have  Luther  in, 
and  Melanchthon,"  said  Josie. 

"  It  seems  to  me,  George,  the  children 
ought  to  have  your  bundle  first,  unless  you 
stop  and  explain  many  things  as  you  read, 
for  they  do  not  know  anything  about  the 
Reformation." 

"  I  believe  you  are  right.  Well,  I  am 
willing  to  begin  at  the  very  beginning :  the 
children  can  ask  me  all  the  questions  they 


24  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

like.  Or  they  can  read  D'Aubigne's  His- 
tory of  the  Reformation.  There  it  is." 

The  children  looked  in  the  direction  in 
which  he  pointed,  and  several  deep  sighs 
were  heard,  which  made  both  father  and 
mother  laugh. 

"  Thirteen  volumes !"  exclaimed  Charlie, 
and  Maggie  fairly  looked  doleful. 

Stephen  proposed  that  his  father  should 
read  them  all,  and  then  give  them  the  best 
of  it  in  his  most  interesting  way.  When 
Stephen  said,  "  In  your  most  interesting 
way,"  there  was  another  laugh,  his  manner 
was  so  droll. 

When  father  consented  to  this  arrange- 
ment, there  was  an  expression  of  relief  on 
the  faces  of  the  little  group ;  and  Paul,  who 
delights  in  history,  looked  as  if  he  antici- 
pated a  great  treat.  So  grandmother's  sto- 
ries were  put  back  in  the  trunk. 


CHAPTER    III. 
THE   YOUTH  OF  LUTHER. 

THE  next  Sabbath,  Mr.  Arnold  noticed 
the  children  occasionally  reading  vol- 
umes of  the  Reformation  history  and  then 
looking  at  him  as  if  they  were  preparing 
questions ;  but  he  made  no  remarks  about  it. 

In  the  evening,  as  they  came  in  from  tea, 
he  sat  down  in  his  easy-chair,  folded  his 
arms  and  said, 

"Now  for  questions.  Who  takes  the 
lead?" 

Instantly  Maggie  and  Charlie  opened  a 
volley  of  questions :  "  What  was  the  use 
of  the  Reformation,  any  way  ?" — "  There 
wouldn't  have  been  any  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  Luther,  would  there?" — "What  made 
them  have  priests  and  pope  if  they  did  not 
like  them  ?" — "  How  did  they  all  get  to  be 
Roman  Catholics  ?"  and  a  host  more  that  I 
cannot  remember. 

Mr.  Arnold   shut   his   eyes  and  put   up 

25 


26  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

both  hands  in  front  of  his  face,  as  if  to 
ward  off  the  questions  that  flew  so  thick 
and  fast.  Then  he  said, 

"We  will  try  to  answer  all  your  ques- 
tions ;  only  give  us  one  at  a  time.  Char- 
lie's question  is  a  good  one  for  a  beginning. 
There  was  great  need  for  the  Reformation, 
and  Luther  was  the  chief  instrument  in 
God's  hands  to  accomplish  it.  As  D'Au- 
bigne  expresses  it,  'the  Church  of  Rome  is 
seen  under  Leo  X.  in  all  its  strength  and 
glory.  A  monk  speaks,  and  in  half  of 
Europe  this  power  and  glory  suddenly 
crumbles  into  dust." 

Paul  looked  intently  at  Mr.  Arnold,  but 
said  nothing. 

"  Paul,  do  you  know  anything  about  Lu- 
ther?" 

"No,  uncle." 

"  Oh  dear !"  exclaimed  Stephen  ;  "  how 
long  is  it  going  to  take  us,  if  we  have  to 
stop  and  explain  everything?" 

"I  don't  see  what  difference  it  makes 
how  long  we  take,"  said  Josie ;  "  we  have 
plenty  of  Sunday  evenings  before  us." 

Paul  looked  at  his  uncle,  as  if  waiting  to 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  27 

hear  an  explanation  of  who  Luther  was; 
but  he  still  said  nothing. 

Mr.  Arnold  noticed  his  look,  and  began : 

"Luther  was  born  in  the  little  town  of 
Eisleben,  Saxony.  His  father  was  an  up- 
right man  who  read  every  book  that  he 
could  lay  his  hands  upon." 

"I  don't  see  how  he  found  time,"  re- 
marked Paul. 

"  Books  were  rare  then,  Paul,"  said  his 
aunt. 

"  I've  seen  a  picture  of  Luther  holding  a 
Bible  that  had  a  chain  fastened  to  it.  What 
did  that  mean,  father  ?"  questioned  Maggie. 

"It  was  chained  to  a  pillar  in  the  con- 
vent, Maggie." 

"  Didn't  he  have  any  Bible  of  his  own  ?" 
asked  Paul,  opening  wide  his  round  eyes  in 
astonishment. 

"No." 

"  When  did  he  first  see  one  ?  Was  that 
chained  one  the  first  he  ever  saw?"  asked 
Charlie. 

"  When  he  was  eighteen  years  old,  study- 
ing in  the  university  at  Erfurth,  he  used  to 
spend  all  the  time  he  could  spare  from  his 


28  MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

studies  in  the  university  library.  One  day, 
after  he  had  been  there  two  years,  he  was 
opening  books  in  the  library,  one  after  the 
other,  in  order  to  read  the  names  of  the 
authors,  when  he  found  a  Bible.  He  read 
the  title,  examined  the  volume,  and  was  as- 
tonished to  find  more  than  the  fragments  of 
the  Gospels  and  Epistles  which  the  Church 
had  chosen  to  be  read  at  Sunday  services. 
Until  that  time  he  had  thought  that  they 
were  the  whole  of  the  word  of  God." 

"I  wonder  what  was  the  first  thing  he 
read?"  said  Paul. 

"It  was  the  story  of  Hannah  and  little 
Samuel.  He  read  as  long  as  he  could  spare 
the  time,  and  then  went  away  with  a  heart 
full  of  longing  for  a  Bible  of  his  own." 

"It  was  a  Latin  Bible,"  said  Stephen. 

"Yes.  'This  book,'  says  D'Aubigne, 
*  deposited  upon  the  unknown  shelves  of  a 
dark  room,  is  soon  to  become  the  book  of 
life  to  a  whole  nation.  The  Reformation 
lay  hid  in  that  Bible/  Perhaps,"  added 
Mr.  Arnold,  "the  book  had  never  been 
moved  since  it  was  first  placed  there." 

"  Not  since  they  cleaned  house,"  remarked 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  29 

Maggie ;  and  then  she  added,  thoughtfully, 
"  Perhaps  they  didn't  clean  house  at  the 
university,  because  they  were  all  men  there." 

"  I  guess  you're  right,  puss,"  said  her  fa- 
ther. 

"What  kind  of  a  mother  had  Luther?" 
asked  Josie. 

"  Yes ;  that  I'd  like  to  know,"  said  Paul, 
looking  at  his  aunt  as  he  spoke. 

"  She  was  called  a  model  mother  by  the 
mothers  of  her  neighborhood — a  modest, 
pious  woman." 

"  In  what  year  was  Luther  born  ?"  asked 
Stephen. 

"  In  1483,  on  the  eve  of  St.  Martin's  day. 
His  father  carried  him  the  next  day  to  St. 
Peter's  church,  and  there  he  was  baptized, 
and  was  named  in  memory  of  the  day." 

"  Not  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,"  said  Charlie, 
looking  at  Paul.  "  That  would  be  too  far 
off  to  carry  a  small  baby." 

"  Was  it  in  summer  ?"  asked  Maggie,  in 
thoughtful  consideration  of  the  baby's  health. 

"  No ;  it  was  in  November,"  said  Mr.  Ar- 
nold. 

"  Oh,  well,  Mag,  you  know  how  they  wrap 


30  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

up  babies  head  and  all.  I  suppose  it  didn't 
make  any  difference." 

"  Were  his  father  and  mother  rich  ?" 
asked  Maggie.  "  If  they  were,  I  suppose 
they  took  a  carriage." 

"  No ;  they  were  poor  peasants.  Luther 
wrote  about  them :  '  My  parents  were  very 
poor.  My  father  was  a  woodcutter,  and  my 
mother  often  carried  the  wood  on  her  back 
she  might  earn  wherewith  to  bring  up 
us  children.  They  endured  the  hardest 
labor  for  our  sakes." 

"  I  suppose  little  Martin  helped  carry  the 
wood,"  remarked  Paul. 

"It  would  be  just  like  him,  Paul,"  said 
Josie. 

"  Martin's  father  worked  hard  in  order 
to  earn  enough  to  send  him  to  school,  and 
both  his  parents  were  very  careful  to  train 
him  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  At  the  same 
time,  they  often  punished  him  in  a  way  that 
seemed  cruel  to  the  child,  and  that  was  cruel, 
though  they  did  not  intend  to  be  so.  At 
school,  too,  he  used  to  be  treated  severely. 
One  day  his  teacher  flogged  him  fifteen 
times  " 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  31 

"  Now,  he  couldn't  have  been  a  good 
boy,"  remarked  Paul,  "  to  need  so  many 
whippings." 

"  But  he  did  grow  to  be  a  good  man,"  said 
Maggie. 

"  I  think  parents  and  teachers  were  more 
severe  in  old  times,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold. 
"  Poor  little  Martin  was  cruelly  treated 
both  at  home  and  at  school." 

"  Well,  any  way,  I  guess  his  goodness 
didn't  come  on  till  he  grew  up.  Besides," 
added  Maggie,  "  he  hadn't  any  Bible,  you 
know." 

"  But  his  father  and  mother  were  good," 
said  Paul,  "  and  I  suppose  they  hadn't  any 
Bible." 

"The  Bible  was  read — at  least,  parts  of 
it — at  the  public  services,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Arnold. 

"At  school,"  said  Mr.  Arnold,  "he  was 
taught  the  ten  commandments,  the  Creed, 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  some  hymns  and  some 
forms  of  prayer;  he  also  studied  Latin. 
The  only  feeling  he  had  about  God  was 
fear;  he  said  he  used  to  turn  pale  with 
terror  at  the  sound  of  the  name  of  Christ, 


32  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

for  he  thought  of  him  only  as  being  an  an- 
gry judge." 

Tears  came  into  Josie's  eyes ;  she  was 
thinking  of  all  Christ  had  done  for  her. 
That  night,  before  she  fell  asleep,  she  won- 
dered what  she  could  do  to  show  the  Sa- 
viour her  gratitude ;  for  he  was  daily  becom- 
ing more  precious  to  her.  She  loved  him 
because  he  first  loved  her. 

"  John  Luther  sent  his  son  to  the  Fran- 
ciscan school  at  Magdeburg  when  he  was 
fourteen  years  old.  At  Magdeburg  he  heard 
Andreas  Proles  preach  about  the  necessity 
of  reforming  religion  and  the  Church." 

"  Perhaps  that  set  him  thinking,"  sug- 
gested Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  No  doubt  it  did.  We  read  that  during 
this  school-life  Luther  and  his  companions 
used  to  beg  food  from  door  to  door.  One 
day,  about  Christmas-time,  they  were  go- 
ing through  the  neighboring  villages,  from 
house  to  house,  singing  carols  about  the 
infant  Jesus.  They  stopped  in  front  of  the 
door  of  a  peasant,  who,  when  he  heard  them 
sing,  came  out  with  some  food.  In  a  rough 
voice  he  called  them,  and  the  boys  were 


MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  33 

terrified  and  ran  as  fast  as  they  could,  they 
were  so  used  to  blows  and  tyranny  from 
their  teachers.  At  last,  however,  as  he  con- 
tinued to  call,  they  came  back,  and  received 
the.  food  he  offered  them.  Before  the  first 
year  was  over,  Martin  Luther's  parents  sent 
him  to  another  school,  at  Eisenach,  think- 
ing he  would  find  it  easier  to  support  him- 
self there.  He  also  had  relations  at  Eise- 
nach, but  they  did  not  trouble  themselves 
about  him,  or  else  they  were  too  poor  to 
help  him." 

"  I  have  read  that  in  many  German  towns 
this  custom  of  singing  for  bread  is  still  kept, 
and  sometimes  very  good  music  is  heard 
along  the  streets,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"Oh,"  said  Josie,  "I  have  read  about 
Luther's  singing  at  Ursula's  door." 

"Who  was  she?"  asked  Maggie. 

"  She  was  a  kind  woman  who  heard  some 
one  driving  Luther  away  with  harsh  words. 
He  felt  real  sorrowful  and  discouraged,  and 
was  wondering  whether  he  would  have  to 
give  up  his  studies  and  go  to  work  with  his 
father  in  the  mines,  when  this  woman  opened 
her  door  and  called  him  into  her  house.  She 

3 


34  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

gave  him  more  than  bread :  she  gave  him  a 
home." 

"  What  a  good  woman !"  exclaimed  Paul. 

Mr.  Arnold  said, 

"  Luther  always  looked  back  with  pleas- 
ure to  the  time  when  he  lived  in  the  peace- 
ful home  of  the  Cottas." 

"Was  that  her  name?" 

"  Yes,  Paul ;  her  husband's  name  was 
Conrad  Gotta. — And  I  think  Josie  read  that 
story  in  the  Sckonburg-  Gotta  Family." 

Josie  said  she  had  read  it.  Not  long 
after,  Maggie  read  the  whole  book  aloud  to 
Judge  Green,  who  was  suffering  from  in- 
flammation of  the  eyes.  You  remember, 
the  judge  and  Maggie  were  warm  friends, 
and  Maggie  said  if  he  were  willing  to  spend 
a  whole  evening  riding  down  hill  with  her 
she  ought  to  be  willing  to  do  something  for 
him  ;  so  she  read  aloud  to  him,  and  they 
both  seemed  to  enjoy  it  very  much. 

"  When  Luther  became  a  great  man,  he 
used  to  say  that  the  early  trials  of  poverty 
and  toil  had  done  him  great  good." 

"  I  don't  see  how,"  said  Charles. — "  Per- 
haps you  do,  Paul,  for  you're  such  a  funny 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  35 

little  chap  you  see  more  than  I  do  some- 
times." 

"  Sometimes  things  we  don't  like  are  good 
for  us,"  said  Paul,  looking  at  his  aunt  as 
he  spoke ;  and  Mrs.  Arnold  and  Paul  both 
glanced  at  the  little  leg,  now  growing  more 
shapely  and  straight. 

"  Mother  and  Paul  always  understand 
each  other,"  remarked  Josie. 

"  Did  you  say  Luther  went  into  a  con- 
vent ?"  asked  Charlie. — "  Josie,"  he  said, 
turning  to  his  sister,  "  I  thought  you  said 
you  had  read  all  about  him?" 

"  I  did  read  some,  but  I  have  forgotten." 

"At  Eisenach  one  of  the  professors  used 
to  take  off  his  hat  and  bow  to  his  scholars 
when  he  entered  the  room.  That  was  a 
great  condescension  in  those  days,  and  very 
different  from  the  treatment  Luther  had 
formerly  received.  Asked  one  day  why  he 
did  this,  the  professor  replied,  '  There  are 
among  these  youths  some  whom  God  will 
one  day  raise  to  the  rank  of  burgomasters, 
chancellors,  doctors  and  magistrates,  and  it 
is  proper  to  treat  them  with  respect.'  Luther 
was  much  impressed  with  this  answer.  His 


<3b  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

father  wanted  him  to  study  law,  and  in  the 
year  1501  he  went  to  the  University  at  Er- 
furth.  He  was  eager  for  knowledge,  and 
soon  outstripped  his  schoolfellows.  The 
whole  university  admired  his  genius." 

"There  was  where  he  found  the  Bible," 
said  Charlie. 

"  Yes,"  said  Paul ;  "  we  will  not  forget 
that." 

"  He  won't  forget  any  of  it,"  whispered 
Charlie  to  Josie. 

"At  this  time  of  his  life  Luther  was  very 
thoughtful,"  continued  Mr.  Arnold.  "  He 
began  every  day  with  prayer,  and  went  to 
church  every  morning  before  he  began  to 
study." 

"  Church  every  day  !"  exclaimed  Charlie ; 
and  a  little  sigh  escaped  him. 

"Luther  studied  so  hard  that  it  made 
him  sick,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  I  hope  Charlie  won't  do  that,"  dryly  re- 
marked Stephen. 

Charlie  was  just  going  to  be  angry,  when 
he  looked  at  his  mother  and  saw  a  merry 
twinkle  in  her  eye.  And  then  his  father 
said, 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  37 

"I  think  Stephen  is  growing  pale  over 
that  composition  of  his." 

At  this  Stephen  blushed,  for  he  had  not 
yet  commenced  his  composition,  and  his 
father  knew  it. 

"  He  doesn't  look  very  pale  now,"  said 
Paul ;  and  they  all  laughed,  excepting  Ste- 
phen, who  was  now  pretty  red  in  the  face. 

"  Did  Luther  get  well  ?"  asked  Maggie. 

"  Oh,  you  goose !  Of  course  he  did,  or 
how  could  he  have  been  a  Reformer  ?"  said 
Stephen. 

"  I  forgot,"  said  Maggie. — "  Please  go  on, 
father." 

"  Luther  thought  he  was  going  to  die,  and 
he  told  his  fears  to  an  old  priest  who  visited 
him.  But  the  priest  answered,  '  Take  cour- 
age ;  you  will  not  die  this  time.  Our  God 
will  yet  use  you  to  comfort  others,  for  God 
lays  his  cross  upon  those  whom  he  loves,  and 
those  who  bear  it  patiently  gain  much  wis- 
dom.' When  Luther  rose  from  his  sick-bed, 
some  new  thoughts  were  in  his  heart.  He 
returned  to  his  law-studies  to  please  his  fa- 
ther, but  God  had  other  things  in  store  for 
him.  His  conscience  troubled  him ;  he  be- 


38  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

gan  to  feel  that  he  ought  first  to  seek  the 
salvation  of  his  soul." 

"Was  that  when  he  climbed  the  Staircase  ?" 
asked  Josie. 

"  What  was  that  for  ?"  inquired  Paul. 

"  I  will  tell  you  soon  about  that,"  said  Mr. 
Arnold. — "  Just  at  this  time  one  of  his  col- 
lege friends,  named  Alexis,  was  shot.  This 
sudden  death  made  him  ask  himself,  'What 
would  become  of  me  if  I  were  thus  suddenly 
called  away  ?'  When  his  next  vacation  came, 
he  took  a  journey  home  to  see  his  parents ; 
but  he  seems  not  to  have  told  his  father  of 
the  desire  he  had  to  be  a  priest,  for  the  idle 
life  of  most  of  the  priests  was  very  offensive 
to  the  industrious  miner  John  Luther.  On 
his  way  back  to  Erfurth  he  was  overtaken 
by  a  violent  storm.  The  thunder  roared ;  a 
thunderbolt  sank  into  the  ground  by  his 
side.  Death,  judgment  and  eternity  seemed 
before  him  in  all  their  terrors,  and  he  vowed 
that  if  God  would  keep  him  from  death  he 
would  forsake  the  world  and  devote  himself 
to  God's  service.  He  felt  now  that  he  must 
become  holy  ;  he  thirsted  for  holiness  as  he 
once  thirsted  for  knowledge.  But  where 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  39 

shall  he  fiiid  it?     The  only  way  he  knew 
was  to  enter  a  convent." 

"  If  only  some  one  could  have  told  him 
how  Jesus  saves  !"  said  Josie,  timidly. 

/ "  Yes,  Josie ;  but  no  one  at  this  time  was 
near  to  tell  him  that  the  just  must  live  by 
faith.  He  went  back  to  Erfurth,  and  kept 
his  resolution  secret  for  a  time;  but  one 
evening  he  invited  his  friends  to  a  simple, 
cheerful  supper.  It  was  his  farewell  to  the 
world.  All  merry  society  he  is  now  ready 
to  give  up  ;  God  calls,  and  he  must  give  up 
all  things.  While  the  friends  are  in  the 
midst  of  their  gayety,  Luther  tells  them  of 
his  determination.  They  oppose  it  with  all 
their  might,  and  that  very  night  he  secretly 
leaves  the  university  and  goes  to  the  convent 
of  St.  Augustine." 

"  I  wonder  if  he  carried  his  trunk  on  his 
back,  as  Dr.  Goodell  did?"  said  Maggie. 

Mr.  Arnold  walked  to  the  bookcase,  and, 
taking  down  the  first  volume  of  D'Aubigne's 
History  of  the  Reformation,  soon  found  the 
place  and  read, 

" '  He  leaves  his  books  and  furniture,  tak- 
ing only  Virgil  and  Plautus.' ' 


40  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"What  were  they?"  asked  Maggie. 

"  Two  Latin  books  ;  he  had  not  yet  a 
Bible. — Furnished  with  these  two  books,  he 
goes  alone  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  to 
the  convent  of  the  hermits  of  St.  Augus- 
tine. He  asks  admittance.  The  door  opens, 
and  closes  again.  Behold  him  for  ever  sepa- 
rated from  his  parents,  from  his  companions 
in  study  and  from  the  world.  It  was  on  the 
17th  of  August,  1505.  Luther  was  then 
twenty-one  years  and  nine  months  old.  At 
length,  he  thinks,  he  is  with  God.  His  soul 
is  safe.  He  is  now  to  obtain  that  holiness 
he  so  ardently  desires.  The  monks  who 
gathered  around  him  were  filled  with  admi- 
ration, commending  his  decision  and  renun- 
ciation of  the  world. 

"As  soon  as  Luther  was  in  the  convent 
he  wrote  to  his  friends,  bidding  them  fare- 
well. He  sent  away  the  clothes  he  wore  at 
the  university,  that  nothing  might  remind 
him  of  his  past  life.  Full  of  grief,  his 
friends  hastened  to  the  convent  to  beg  him 
not  to  bury  his  talents  there.  But  the  doors 
were  closed  against  them,  and  no  one  was 
allowed  to  see  him." 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  41 

"  Was  his  father  angry  ?"  asked  Charlie. 

"  Yes,  he  was — very  angry  ;  he  had  other 
plans  for  his  son,  and  he  never  liked  the 
monks'  life." 
.'  "What  did  he  do  about  it,  father?" 

"He  wrote  him  an  angry  letter,  with- 
drawing his  favor  and  love.  I  do  not  know 
how  his  mother  felt  about  it.  Some  time 
after  this,  two  of  Luther's  brothers  died  of 
the  plague,  and  some  one  told  the  father 
that  Luther  also  was  dead.  His  friends 
thought  in  this  way  to  make  him  willing 
that  Luther  should  be  a  monk. 

" '  If  it  is  a  false  report,'  they  said,  '  at 
least  sanctify  your  present  affliction  by  con- 
senting that  your  son  should  be  a  monk.' 

'  " '  Well,  be  it  so,'  said  his  sorrowful  fa- 
ther, '  and  God  grant  that  he  may  prosper.' 

"And  when,  some  time  after,  Luther  told 
his  father  what  had  led  him  to  a  monastic 
life,  his  father  said, 

"  *  God  grant  that  you  may  not  have  mis- 
taken a  delusion  of  the  devil  for  a  sign  from 
Heaven.' " 

"  Father,"  asked  Charlie,  "  was  it  right  to 
shut  himself  up  in  a  convent  ?" 


42  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  He  thought  it  was  going  to  save  his 
soul,"  replied  his  father. 

"Yes,  but  was  it  right?" 

"  I  will  leave  you  to  answer  that  for  your- 
self by  and  by,  Charlie.  Wait  till  you  know 
more  about  what  convent-life  is  like.  The 
Luther  of  that  time  was  not  the  Luther  of 
later  years." 

"  Was  he  a  Roman  Catholic?"  asked  Paul. 

"  He  had  been  brought  up  in  the  Romish 
Church,"  replied  Mr.  Arnold.  "Suppose 
you  keep  your  questions  until  you  have 
heard  more  of  Luther's  life,  and  then  ask 
me  as  many  as  you  like." 

The  children  agreed  to  this,  and  Mr. 
Arnold  took  up  the  History  of  the  Ref- 
ormation and  read : 

" '  Luther  was  then  looking  for  salvation 
in  himself — in  works  and  observances ;  he 
knew  not  that  salvation  cometh  of  God 
only.  He  sought  to  establish  his  own  right- 
eousness and  his  own  glory,  being  ignorant 
of  the  righteousness  and  the  glory  of  God. 
But  what  he  was  then  ignorant  of  he  soon 
learned.  It  was  in  the  cloister  of  Erfurth 
that  the  great  change  in  his  heart  came." 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  43 

Paul  wanted  to  ask  what  "  cloister " 
meant,  but  he  thought  he  would  remem- 
ber it  and  ask  his  uncle  afterward. 

"  Martin  Luther  changed  his  name  when 
he  entered  the  convent,  and  took  that  of 
Augustine.  The  monks  received  him  joy- 
fully ;  nevertheless,  they  made  him  do  the 
hardest  kind  of  work.  Perhaps  they  wished 
to  humble  him  and  teach  him  that  his  great 
learning  did  not  make  him  any  better  than 
his  brethren.  And,  though  they  were  proud 
to  see  one  of  the  greatest  scholars  in  the 
university  coming  to  join  their  order,  yet 
the  convent  could  get  no  profit  from  his 
studies ;  it  was  better  to  have  his  labor. 
He  was  obliged  to  be  doorkeeper,  to  open 
and  shut  the  gates,  to  wind  up  the  clock, 
to  sweep  the  church  and  to  clean  the  rooms. 
Then,  when  the  poor  monk,  who  was  at 
once  porter,  sexton  and  servant  of  the  clois- 
ter, had  finished  his  work,  '  With  your  bag 
through  the  town !'  cried  the  brothers ;  and, 
loaded  with  his  bread-bag,  he  was  obliged  to 
go  through  the  streets  of  Erfurth  begging 
from  house  to  house,  and  perhaps  at  the 
doors  of  those  very  persons  who  had  been 


44  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORTES. 

either  his  friends  or  his  inferiors.  But  he 
bore  it  all.  Inclined,  from  his  natural  dis- 
position, heartily  to  devote  himself  to  what- 
ever he  undertook,  it  was  with  his  whole 
soul  that  he  had  become  a  monk.  Besides, 
could  he  wish  to  spare  the  body,  to  regard 
the  satisfying  of  the  flesh  ?  Not  thus  could 
he  acquire  the  humility,  the  holiness,  that 
he  had  come  to  seek  within  the  walls  of  a 
cloister. 

"  The  poor  monk,  overwhelmed  with  toil, 
eagerly  availed  himself  of  every  moment  he 
could  snatch  from  his  degrading  occupations. 
He  sought  to  retire  apart  from  his  compan- 
ions and  give  himself  up  to  his  beloved  stud- 
ies, but  the  brethren  soon  perceived  this, 
came  about  him  with  murmurs,  and  forced 
him  to  leave  his  books :  '  Come,  come !  It 
is  not  by  study,  but  by  begging  bread,  corn, 
eggs,  fish,  meat  and  money,  that  you  can 
benefit  the  cloister ;'  and  Luther  submitted, 
put  away  his  books  and  resumed  his  bag." 

"And  was  that  the  way  they  who  lived 
in  convents  supported  themselves?"  cried 
Stephen. 

"Yes." 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  45 

"No  wonder  Luther's  father  hated  to 
have  him  become  a  beggar,"  said  Charlie. 

"  God  was  leading  Luther  in  his  own 
way ;  the  great  Reformer  had  first  heavily 
to:  feel  the  burden  of  Romish  errors  and 
abuses  before  he  began  to  deliver  others 
from  them,"  remarked  Mr.  Arnold.  "  When 
his  fellow-students  at  the  university  learned 
of  his  severe  toils  at  the  convent,  they  in- 
terceded with  the  prior,  who  freed  Luther 
from  his  labors  and  gave  him  time  for  study. 
He  read  and  studied  much,  especially  the 
chained  Bible  he  found  in  the  convent. 
Sometimes  he  would  spend  a  whole  day 
thinking  over  a  single  passage.  He  learned 
portions  of  this  Latin  Bible  by  heart,  and 
also  studied  the  Scriptures  in  Greek  and 
in  Hebrew." 

Holding  in  his  hands  the  volume  of  the 
Reformation  history,  Mr.  Arnold  looked 
up  and  met  Paul's  eager,  questioning  eyes. 

"  Do  you  want  to  ask  anything,  Paul  ?"  he 
said. 

"  Yes,  uncle,  ever  so  much ;  but  I'll  wait 
till  you  get  through." 

Mr.  Arnold  continued  reading  : 


46  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  The  young  monk  applied  himself  to  his 
studies  with  so  much  zeal  that  often  for  two 
or  three  weeks  together  he  would  omit  the 
prescribed  prayers." 

"  What  kind  of  prayers  are  they  ?"  asked 
Maggie. 

"  Why,  they  are  obliged  to  spend  just  so 
many  hours  every  day  saying  prayers,"  said 
Josie. 

"  How  tiresome !"  exclaimed  Charlie. 

"After  neglecting  prayers  for  a  time,  Lu- 
ther used  to  be  alarmed  by  the  thought  that 
he  had  broken  the  rules  of  the  convent,  and 
he  did  penance  by  shutting  himself  up  and 
repeating  all  the  prayers  he  had  neglected. 
Once  he  passed  seven  weeks  almost  without 
sleep." 

"They  must  have  had  a  large  book  of 
prayers,"  said  Maggie. 

"  No ;  they  said  one  prayer  over  a  great 
many  times,"  answered  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"Doing  penance  is  as  bad  as  Bridget. 
Why,  father,  Luther  was  a  regular  Roman 
Catholic,  wasn't  he  ?"  said  Maggie. 

"  He  was  brought  up  one,  and  he  did  not 
yet  know  any  better,"  remarked  Stephen. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  47 

"  He  was  all  the  time  longing  for  holiness," 
said  Mr.  Arnold,  "  but  he  did  not  know  how 
to  get  it.  He  fasted  and  prayed  and  pun- 
ished his  flesh,  hoping  he  could  in  this  way 
earn  heaven." 

"  Didn't  he  get  to  be  a  great  eater  when 
he  became  a  Protestant  ?"  asked  Charlie. 

His  father  smiled,  and  Stephen  said, 

"  To  make  up  for  lost  time,  Charlie  ?" 

"  No ;  Luther  never  cared  much  about  his 
eating.  He  never  was  used  to  a  generous, 
rich  diet,  and  even  after  he  had  learned  that 
heaven  could  not  be  earned  in  this  way  he 
contented  himself  with  the  poorest  food, 
sometimes  going  four  days  together  without 
eating  or  drinking." 

"  I  don't  believe  it !"  exclaimed  Charlie. 

"  History  says  so,"  answered  his  father. 

"And  Luther  wasn't  the  man  to  take  a 
sly  bite,"  said  Stephen,  "  or  to  make  a  Dr. 
Tanner  of  himself  just  for  a  sensation." 

"Why  did  he  do  it?"  asked  Paul. 

"He  was  too  busy  to  think  or  to  care 
about  himself,  and,  as  I  said  before,  he  was 
always  used  to  scanty  fare.  Melanchthon 
mentions  it  in  his  Life  of  Luther. 


48  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  We  don't  know  who  Melanchthon  is 
yet,"  said  Paul. 

"  The  little  chap  doesn't  feel  inclined  to 
believe  him  till  he  knows  all  about  who 
he  is,"  said  Stephen,  laughing  at  his  own 
conceit. 

"When  Luther  became  a  Reformer,  he 
wrote  once  to  the  duke  of  Saxony,  '  I  was  a 
devout  monk,  and  followed  the  rules  of  my 
order  so  strictly  that  I  cannot  tell  you  all. 
If  ever  a  monk  entered  into  heaven  by  his 
monkish  merits,  certainly  I  should  have  ob- 
tained an  entrance  there.  All  the  monks 
who  knew  me  will  confirm  this  ;  and  if  it 
.had  lasted  much  longer,  I  should  have  be- 
come literally  a  martyr  through  watchings, 
prayer,  reading  and  other  labors.' 

"  But  Luther  did  not  find  peace :  he 
wanted  to  feel  sure  that  he  was  saved.  This 
was  the  great  need  of  his  soul ;  without  it 
he  could  not  rest.  But  the  fears  that  had 
shaken  him  in  the  world  pursued  him  to  his 
cell.  They  increased  there.  The  Bible 
taught  him  what  it  was  to  be  holy,  but  he 
was  filled  with  terror  at  finding  neither  in 
his  heart  nor  in  his  life  the  holiness  he  saw 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  49 

portrayed  in  the  sacred  word.  No  right- 
eousness within  ;  no  righteousness  in  works  ; 
sin — sin,  everywhere. 

"  The  monks  encouraged  him  to  do  good 
works  and  in  that  way  satisfy  divine  justice. 
'  But  what  works/  said  he,  '  can  proceed  out 
of  a  heart  like  mine  ?  How  can  I  stand 
before  a  holy  Judge?'  With  astonishment 
the  stupid  monks  watched  his  distress,  while 
they  complained  of  his  silent  and  unsocial 
manners. 

"  One  day,  while  mass  was  being  performed 
in  the  chapel,  Luther  sat  in  great  anguish. 
The  priest  had  bowed  before  the  altar,  the 
incense  had  been  offered,  the  Gloria  chanted, 
and  the  Gospel  was  being  read,  when  sud- 
denly Luther  fell  upon  his  knees,  exclaim- 
ing, '  It  is  not  I !  It  is  not  I !'  The  monks 
were  amazed ;  the  solemn  service  was  for  an 
instant  interrupted.  The  Gospel  being  read 
was  an  account  of  the  dumb  mm  out  of 
whom  Jesus  cast  a  devil.  The  monks  used 
to  say  the  distress  of  mind,  which  they  saw 
but  could  not  understand,  was  owing  to  se- 
cret intercourse  with  the  devil. 

'"I  tormented  myself  to  death  to  procure 


50  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

peace  for  my  troubled  conscience,  but  no- 
where found  peace/  "  read  Mr.  Arnold. 

"I  hope  he'll  find  peace  soon,"  said 
Paul. 

"  He  used  to  shut  himself  up  in  his  cell, 
and  would  not  allow  any  one  to  come  near 
him.  One  day  they  brought  some  young 
boys  to  sing  at  his  cell-door.  They  knocked 
and  knocked,  and  then  some  one  broke  open 
the  door  and  found  Luther  lying  senseless 
on  the  floor. 

"About  this  time  the  vicar-general  came 
to  inspect  the  convent.  He  noticed  the  pale, 
thin  Luther  and  talked  with  him.  He  had 
passed  through  distress  like  Luther's,  and 
understood  now  the  way  of  peace.  When 
Luther  told  him  of  all  his  fears  and  tor- 
ments, the  vicar-general  said,  '  Why  do  you 
distress  yourself?  Look  to  the  wounds  of 
Christ,  to  the  blood  which  he  has  shed  for 
you.  Instead  of  torturing  yourself  for  sin, 
cast  yourself  into  the  arms  of  the  Redeemer. 
Trust  in  him,  in  the  righteousness  of  his  life, 
in  the  expiatory  sacrifice  of  his  death.  God 
is  not  against  you  :  it  is  you  who  are  against 
God.  Listen  to  the  Son  of  God.  If  vou 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  51 

wish  to  be  converted,  do  not  do  penances, 
but  love  Him  who  has  first  loved  you.' 

"  Joy  now  came  into  Luther's  heart.  '  It 
is  Jesus  Christ,'  he  says,  '  who  comforts  me 
so  wonderfully  by  these  sweet  words.'  And 
now  the  Bible  verses  which  once  alarmed 
him  'seem  to  spring  up  and  play  around 
him.' " 

"I  am  so  glad!"  said  Paul.  The  little 
boy  had  eagerly  listened  to  every  word, 
though  he  could  not  understand  all. 

"  Doubts  came  and  went :  it  was  not  all 
joy;  but  by  daily  careful  Bible  study  the  way 
of  salvation  gradually  grew  plain  to  him." 

"  What  was  the  vicar-general's  name,  fa- 
ther ?"  inquired  Josie. 

"  John  Staupitz.  He  gave  a  Bible  to  Lu- 
ther, who  at  last  had  one  of  his  own  and  was 
no  longer  obliged  to  go  to  the  chained  con- 
vent Bible  or  to  the  cell  of  some  brother- 
monk.  But  all  these  anxious  thoughts  and 
fastings  broke  down  his  health,  and  he  be- 
came severely  sick.  Then  all  his  terrors 
came  back.  He  was  afraid  to  die.  Thoughts 
of  his  sins  and  of  God's  holiness  distressed 
him  greatly. 


52  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"One  day,  when  overwhelmed  with  de- 
spair, an  old  monk  entered  his  cell  and 
spoke  kindly  to  him.  After  some  conver- 
sation the  monk  repeated  these  words  of  the 
Creed:  'I  believe  in  the  forgiveness  of 
sins.'  On  his  bed  of  suffering  Luther 
found  consolation,  and  as  the  aged  monk 
added,  'Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee,'  light 
shone  in  on  his  soul :  he  believed  the  word 
and  trusted  in  the  grace  of  Christ  Jesus." 

"  I  thought  he  was  converted  when  he 
went  up  the  Staircase?"  said  Josie. 

"Wait  till  uncle  gets  through,"  said 
Paul,  without  turning  his  eyes  from  his 
uncle's  face. 

"  When  he  was  comforted,  he  quickly  re- 
covered. Soon  the  time  came  for  him  to  be 
ordained  priest.  He  invited  his  father  to 
come  to  the  ceremony,  for  he  wanted  to  be 
perfectly  reconciled  to  him.  He  came,  and 
brought  Luther  a  present  of  money. 

"  When  the  bishop,  at  Luther's  consecra- 
tion, put  into  his  hand  the  cup  and  gave 
him  power  to  celebrate  the  mass,  he  ad- 
dressed to  him  these  solemn  words :  '  Re- 
ceive the  power  of  offering  sacrifice  for  the 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  53 

living  and  the  dead.' — 'At  that  time,'  says 
Luther,  '  I  listened  calmly  to  those  words, 
but  now  they  make  me  shudder.  I  wonder 
the  earth  did  not  open  and  swallow  us  both. 
It.  was  an  instance  of  the  patience  and  the 
long-suffering  of  the  Lord.' 

"After  three  years  in  the  convent,  Lu- 
ther was  chosen  professor  in  the  Wittem- 
berg  University.  Here,  daily,  at  one  o'clock, 
he  lectured  on  the  Bible.  At  this  time  his 
home  was  in  a  convent,  and  he  spent  many 
hours  in  his  peaceful  cell  studying  the  Bible. 
John  Staupitz  invited  him  to  preach  in  the 
church  of  the  Augustines.  This  he  dreaded 
to  do,  but  finally  was  persuaded.  Crowds 
went  to  hear  him.  Then  he  was  called  to 
preach  in  one  of  the  city  churches." 

Mr.  Arnold  suddenly  stopped : 

"  It  is  past  the  children's  bedtime,  and  I 
am  making  my  story  too  long." 

Without  waiting  for  any  one  to  speak, 
he  put  down  the  book  and  left  the  room. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

LUTHER   AT  ROME. 

"  TINGLE,  it  was  well  you  went  out  of  the 

U  room,  for  we  would  have  asked  you 
lots  of  questions  and  auntie  never  would 
have  got  us  to  bed." 

Mr.  Arnold  smiled  as  Maggie  said, 

"  I  do  believe  that  was  the  reason  father 
went  out." 

"And  Stephen  went  too,"  said  Charlie. 

"  But  he  took  the  History  with  him,"  said 
Josie. 

"  I  couldn't  wait,"  answered  Stephen. 

"And  you  read  the  rest  about  Luther?" 
questioned  Paul. 

"Yes." 

Paul  looked  disappointed. 

"  Where  did  we  leave  off  last  Sunday  ?" 
asked  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Where  Luther  was  called  to  preach  in 
one  of  the  city  churches,"  answered  Josie. 

"Luther's  preaching  changed  the  city  of 


54 


MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  55 

Wittemberg,  and  the  pure  word  of  God  soon 
spread  over  Germany  and  over  other  coun- 
tries. Other  teachers  and  preachers  were 
raised  up  by  God,"  read  Mr.  Arnold. 

, "  I  would  like  to  know  about  the  other 
countries,"  said  Paul. 

"  What  a  boy  you  are  for  history !"  said 
Josie. 

Mr.  Arnold,  holding  the  first  volume  of 
D'Aubigne  history  in  his  hand  and  point- 
ing to  the  other  twelve,  said, 

"  You  will  have  history  enough  before 
we  get  through  all  those  books." 

"Are  you  going  to  read  them  or  talk 
them?"  inquired  Paul. 

"Talk  them,  for  the  most  part.  I  am 
going  to  read  them  to  myself,  and  then  tell 
you  all  I  can  remember  that  will  be  inter- 
esting. For  fear  of  forgetting,  I  will  keep 
the  book  in  hand,  and  then  I  can  read  short 
extracts  that  I  want  you  to  hear  word  for 
word." 

"  I  wonder  what  kind  of  a  preacher  Lu- 
ther was?"  said  Josie. 

"  He  was  very  earnest  and  eloquent  and 
had  a  clear,  loud  voice  and  a  dignified  man- 


56  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

ner.  His  fame  spread  far  and  wide,  and 
crowds  flocked  to  hear  him.  His  busy  life 
was  very  different  from  the  life  he  led  in 
the  convent.  Teaching  and  preaching  filled 
up  all  his  time,  and  he  was  happy.  He  was 
now  at  last  in  his  right  place,  and  the  work 
of  God  was  about  to  open  out  its  majestic 
course  before  him. 

"A  difference  having  arisen  between  the 
Augustine  convents  and  the  vicar-general, 
Luther  was  sent  to  Rome  to  have  it  settled. 
Luther  looked  upon  Home  as  the  seat  of  ho- 
liness. Rome  was  the  head  of  the  Church, 
you  know." 

"  I  thought  the  pope  was  ?"  remarked 
Maggie. 

"  Well,  Mag,  the  pope  lived  at  Rome, 
you  know.  I  suppose  the  reason  Luther 
went  there  was  because  he  wanted  to  see 
him,"  said  Charlie. 

"  That  journey  to  Rome  was  full  of  sur- 
prises to  Luther.  To  a  poor  German  monk 
the  table  of  the  wealthy  Benedictines  in 
Italy  was  a  scandal  as  well  as  a  surprise. 
The  monks  lived  in  the  greatest  luxury- 
rich  dresses,  magnificent  furniture,  delicate 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  57 

food  ;  what  did  the  humble  Augustine  think 
of  it  ?  At  first  he  looked  on  in  silent  amaze- 
ment ;  but  when  Good  Friday  came  and  he 
saw  an  abundance  of  meat  on  the  table,  he 
could  keep  still  no  longer.  '  The  Church 
and  the  pope  forbid  such  things,'  he  said. 
This  offended  the  Benedictines.  Luther 
repeated  it,  and  threatened  to  report  their 
conduct.  They  soon  made  him  feel  that 
they  did  not  care  to  have  him  stay  any 
longer ;  so  he  journeyed  to  Bologna,  where 
he  was  taken  sick.  Some  have  thought  the 
offended  monks  gave  him  poison,  but  it  is 
more  likely  that  the  rich  food  made  him 
sick ;  for  he  was  more  used  to  eating  dry 
bread  and  herrings.  His  doubts  and  fears 
came  back  during  his  sickness;  his  sins 
again  disturbed  him,  and  he  was  afraid  of 
the  judgment.  But  when  his  terror  was 
the  highest,  for  his  comfort  God  sent  these 
words  of  Paul :  '  The  just  shall  live  by  faith.' 
It  beamed  into  his  dark  soul  like  a  ray  of 
light  from  heaven,  and  he  was  consoled. 
Rapidly  his  strength  returned,  and  again 
he  set  out  for  Rome." 

"There  was  where  he  went  up  the  holy 


58  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

stairs,"  exclaimed  Charlie  ;  "  I've  read  about 
that." 

"  I'd  like  to  hear  it,"  said  Maggie. 

Paul  said  nothing,  but  he  listened  with  all 
his  might. 

Mr.  Arnold  continued : 

"  Have  patience  and  you  will  hear  it  all. — 
As  Luther  came  in  sight  of  the  city  he  threw 
himself  on  the  ground,  exclaiming,  'Holy 
Rome,  I  salute  thee!'  He  visited  all  the 
churches  and  chapels,  believed  all  the  sto- 
ries told  him,  and  performed  many  pious 
acts.  One  day,  wishing  to  obtain  an  indul- 
gence promised  by  the  pope  to  any  one  who 
should  ascend  on  his  knees  what  is  called 
'  Pilate's  Staircase,'  Luther  undertook  it." 

"  Why,  I  didn't  think  he  would  be  so 
silly,"  exclaimed  Maggie. 

"  How  it  must  have  tired  him  !"  said  Paul. 
"  Did  he  get  all  the  way  up  ?" 

"No.  On  the  way  a  voice  of  thunder 
spoke  to  his  soul :  '  The  just  shall  live  by 
faith.'  Twice  had  these  words  done  him 
good;  this  time  they  were  to  have  more 
power  over  him  than  they  had  had  before. 
He  started  up  in  alarm,  was  horrified  at 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  59 

what  he  was  doing,  and  was  filled  with 
shame.  He  fled  from  the  scene  of  his  folly. 

"And  now  this  monk,  who  has  sought  so 
long  after  holiness,  understands  that  the 
perfect  righteousness  of  Christ  is  the  only 
righteousness  that  can  stand  in  the  sight  of 
God,  and  that  it  freely  passes  upon  every 
penitent  sinner  who  looks  to  Christ  to  save 
him.  The  grand  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith  became  the  power  of  God  for  Luther's 
salvation,  and  it  also  became  the  power  of 
God  to  reform  the  Church." 

"  Luther  used  to  say,"  remarked  Mrs.  Ar- 
nold, "  that  this  text  was  to  him  as  the  very 
gate  of  heaven." 

"When  Luther  received  with  joy  the 
knowledge  that  Christ's  righteousness  saves 
us,  he  did  not  perceive  the  consequences  of 
such  a  belief;  he  was  still  attached  to  the 
Romish  Church." 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  father." 

"  Why,  the  Romish  Church  teaches  that 
we  can  be  saved  by  good  works." 

"  Does  it,  father  ?" 

"And  Luther  worked  hard  to  be  saved  in 
that  way,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold. 


60  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  Father,  I  don't  exactly  see  how  the  Ro- 
man  Catholic  religion  began,"  said  Stephen. 

"  It  must  have  begun  in  Rome,  didn't  it  ?" 
inquired  Josie. 

"  I  see  you  have  not  yet  given  the  subject 
much  thought,"  remarked  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Paul  preached  in  Rome,"  said  Stephen, 
"  and  didn't  he  start  a  church  there  ?  That 
must  have  been  a  Protestant  church." 

"  The  term  '  Protestant '  was  not  then 
known.  It  arose  when  men  began  to  pro- 
test against  the  errors  of  the  Romish  Church." 

"  What  means  '  protest '  ?"  asked  Paul. 

"Men  who  saw  where  the  Church  was 
teaching  different  doctrine  from  that  which 
Christ  taught  boldly  declared  their  opinion  ; 
they  protested  against  error.  So  they  were 
called  '  Protestants.' ' 

"Were  the  monks  and  priests  all  bad 
people  ?"  asked  Maggie. 

"  Not  all  of  them ;  I  have  read  of  some 
very  good  Romanists." 

"  Were  the  popes  bad  ?"  asked  Charlie. 

"  The  vices  and  the  crimes  of  the  popes 
would  make  a  chapter  I  would  not  like  to 
have  you  read. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  61 

"  Paul  founded  a  church  in  Rome,  and  its 
first  pastors,  or  bishops,  employed  themselves 
in  efforts  to  convert  to  the  faith  of  Christ 
the  towns  and  villages  around  the  city. 
Naturally,  the  churches  established  in  these 
neighboring  places  looked  with  gratitude  to 
the  mother-church  at  Rome ;  its  bishops 
were  their  guides  and  teachers.  The  bish- 
ops soon  began  to  demand  reverence  and 
submission ;  were  they  not  bishops  of  the 
greatest,  richest  and  most  powerful  city  in 
the  world?" 

"  I  remember  father's  reading  about  Paul's 
going  a  prisoner  to  Rome,  and  the  ship- 
wreck," said  Maggie. 

"  I  remember  about  the  shipwreck,"  said 
little  Paul. 

"  They  were  shipwrecked  at  Melita. — 
Wasn't  that  Malta,  father  ?"  asked  Stephen. 

"  Yes." 

"  When  he  got  to  Rome,  did  he  preach  ?" 
asked  Paul. 

"  They  stayed  on  the  island  of  Malta  three 
months,"  said  Stephen. 

"  I  suppose  he  preached  there,"  said  Char- 
lie, "  for  he  preached  wherever  he  went." 


62  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  Yes ;  he  preached  everywhere.  No 
doubt  he  preached  to  the  soldier  to  whom 
he  was  chained,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Chained  to  a  soldier !"  exclaimed  Paul. 

"  Yes ;  at  Rome,  during  his  imprisonment, 
he  was  chained  to  a  soldier.  When  we  re- 
member that,  and  also  remember  that  he 
was  surrounded  by  military  sights  and 
sounds,  we  are  not  surprised  at  his  remarks 
in  the  sixth  chapter  of  Ephesians  about  the 
whole  armor  of  God  and  our  spiritual  war- 
fare." 

"Doesn't  the  Bible  say  he  dwelt  in  his 
own  hired  house  at  Rome?"  asked  Josie. 

"  Yes ;  but  yet  he  was  a  prisoner  under 
military  keeping,  and  day  and  night  was 
chained  by  the  arm  to  one  of  Nero's  body- 
guard. Some  think  two  soldiers  guarded 
him  by  night.  He  was  allowed  to  see  all 
who  came  to  him,  and  was  able  boldly  to 
preach  and  teach  the  gospel  of  Christ." 

"Mother  doesn't  say  a  word,"  remarked 
Charlie. — "  You  know  all  about  it,  don't  you, 
mother  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  have  read  D'Aubigne's  history," 
answered  Mrs.  Arnold,  smiling. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  63 

"  True  enough,  Lucretia ;  you  are  not  do- 
ing your  share,"  said  her  husband. 

"  I  am  satisfied  with  the  way  it  is  going," 
replied  Mrs.  Arnold. 

•"  Let  us  come  back  to  the  bishop  of 
Rome,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. — "  The  next  thing 
was  to  claim  that  all  the  bishops  derived 
their  authority  from  the  bishop  of  Rome, 
and  must  be  under  him.  He  was  proclaimed 
*  ruler  of  the  whole  Church.' ' 

"  Then  they  called  him  'pope,' '  said 
Josie. 

"Yes;  the  word  in  Greek  is  papa — 'fa- 
ther.' Who  was  the  first  pope,  Josie  ?" 
asked  her  father. 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir." 

Mr.  Arnold  looked  at  each  one,  but  no 
one  answered.  At  last  Charlie  said, 

"  Pius  I.,  I  suppose." 

"  No,  no ;  farther  back  than  that.  I  have 
seen  a  list  of  popes,  and  the  first  one  on  it  is 
St.  Peter." 

"  What  do  they  mean  by  penances  and 
indulgences?"  abruptly  asked  Charlie. 

"  The  Romish  Church  claimed  the  power 
of  granting  forgiveness  for  sins  committed  ; 


64  MR,  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

salvation  was  taken  out  of  the  hands  of 
God  and  put  into  the  hands  of  the  priests. 
Works  of  penance  were  ordered  on  account 
of  sins  committed.  Men  were  commanded 
to  fast,  to  go  bareheaded,  to  wear  no  linen, 
to  go  on  pilgrimages,  crawl  up  the  holy 
Staircase,  or  to  go  into  monasteries  or  con- 
vents," replied  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  What  means  '  monasteries  or  convents'?" 
asked  Paul. 

"  Houses  where  they  lived  shut  out  from 
the  world.  They  spent  the  greater  part  of 
their  time  in  prayer  and  meditation." 

"I  wouldn't  like  that,"  said  Charlie. 

"In  Italy,  during  the  eleventh  century, 
nobles  and  peasants,  old  and  young — even 
children  five  years  old — went  in  pairs  through 
the  villages,  towns  and  cities  by  thousands 
without  any  other  covering  than  a  cloth  tied 
round  the  middle,  and  visiting  the  churches 
in  procession  in  the  very  depth  of  winter. 
Armed  with  whips,  they  lashed  themselves 
without  pity,  and  the  streets  resounded  with 
cries  and  groans,  which  drew  forth  tears  of 
compassion  from  all  who  heard  them." 

"  I  shouldn't  think  the  people  would  have 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  65 

been  willing  to  do  such  things,"  exclaimed 
Charlie. 

"  They  expected  to  be  saved  in  that  way. 
And  when  they  began  to  sigh  and  groan 
under  it,  and  the  priests  feared  they  would 
resist  it,  they  invented  a  system  of  barter 
known  by  the  name  of  'indulgences.'  In 
the  time  of  John,  called  the  Faster,  arch- 
bishop of  Constantinople,  we  see  its  first 
commencement.  The  priests  said,  '  O  peni- 
tents, you  are  unable  to  perform  the  pen- 
ances we  have  imposed  upon  you.  Well, 
then,  we,  the  priests  of  God  and  your  pas- 
tors, will  take  upon  ourselves  this  heavy 
burden.  Who  can  better  fast  than  we? 
Who  better  kneel  and  recite  psalms  than 
ourselves?  But  for  a  seven  weeks'  fast 
such  as  are  rich  shall  pay  twenty  pence; 
those  who  are  less  wealthy,  ten  pence ;  and 
the  poor,  three  pence.  And  in  the  same 
proportion  for  other  things.' ' 

"  Did  no  one  oppose  it  at  first  ?"  inquired 
Mrs.  Arnold. 

"Some  did,  but  it  was  in  vain.  The 
priests  saw  too  much  money  in  this  device 
willingly  to  give  it  up." 


66  ME.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  Father,  what  do  they  mean  by  '  works 
of  supererogation '  ?"  asked  Stephen. 

Mr.  Arnold  turned  over  a  few  pages  of 
the  volume  he  held,  and  read: 

"  Christ,  it  was  declared,  had  done  much 
more  than .  was  necessary  to  reconcile  God 
and  man.  One  single  drop  of  his  blood 
would  have  sufficed  for  that,  but  he  shed 
his  blood  abundantly  that  he  might  form 
for  his  Church  a  treasury  that  eternity  it- 
self could  not  exhaust.  The  supererogatory 
merits  of  the  saints,  the  reward  of  the  works 
they  have  done  beyond  and  additional  to  the 
obligations  of  duty,  have  still  further  en- 
riched this  treasury." 

"And  the  pope,'*  said  Mrs.  Arnold,  "  takes 
care  of  and  distributes  these  treasures  of 
grace — these  merits  of  Christ  and  his  saints." 

"  Rapidly  this  system  grew  to  perfection. 
The  burden  of  many  years  bowed  down  the 
penitent.  But  suppose  death  comes  before 
the  penance  is  all  performed?  Well,  the 
hard  taskmasters  soon  found  out  a  way  to 
gain  even  by  death.  The  Church  declared 
that  there  was  a  fire  that  purified.  In  pur- 
gatory men  would  suffer  until  their  sins  were 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  67 

purged  away,  or  until  money  enough  had 
been  given  by  the  living  to  pay  for  pray- 
ers to  get  them  out.  Men  actually  paid 
money  into  the  treasury  of  the  Church  to 
end  the  torments  of  friends  who  were  dead." 

"  Does  the  Bible  say  anything  about  pur- 
gatory?" asked  Maggie. 

"  No,  but  by  a  bull  the  pope  declared  it." 

"'By  a  bull'!"  exclaimed  Maggie;  and 
she  looked  so  funny  when  she  said  it  that 
they  all  laughed  at  her. 

"  The  pope's  bull,  Maggie,  is  a  law  he 
gives  to  his  people.  It  is  so  named  from 
the  lead  ball  or  seal  affixed  to  it,  which  is 
called  a  bulla.  If  he  says  there  is  a  place 
called  '  purgatory,'  they  are  bound  to  be- 
lieve it;  and  if  he  says  the  prayers  of  the 
Church  can  lift  souls  out  of  purgatory  and 
place  them  in  heaven,  the  people  gladly  pay 
for  these  prayers.  Pope  Boniface  VIII.  pub- 
lished a  bull  by  which  he  declared  that  all 
who  would  join  in  a  pilgrimage  to  Rome, 
which  was  to  take  place  every  hundred  years, 
should  there  receive  full  and  complete  indul- 
gence— or  forgiveness,  we  might  call  it." 

"  Did  anybody  go  ?"  asked  Charlie. 


68  ME.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"In  one  month  two  hundred  thousand 
visited  Rome.  They  flocked  there  from  all 
countries,  and  brought  money  for  offerings. 
The  sight  of  so  much  money  led  the  popes 
to  arrange  for  pilgrimages  oftener.  They 
fixed  upon  fifty  years,  afterward  on  thirty- 
three,  and  at  last  on  twenty-five.  Then 
they  agreed  to  sell  indulgences  at  every  mar- 
ket-place ;  so  it  was  no  longer  necessary  to 
leave  home :  forgiveness  could  be  bought  at 
one's  own  door.  When  this  evil  was  at  its 
height,  the  Reformer  arose." 

"  People  used  to  pray  to  saints  and  to  the 
Virgin  Mary,  didn't  they,  father  ?" 

"  Bridget  prays  to  the  Virgin  Mary,"  re- 
marked Maggie  ;  "  I  heard  her." 

"  Yes ;  Christ  was  represented  as  a  stern 
judge,  and  the  mother  of  Christ  and  the 
angels  were  prayed  to  instead  of  Christ. 

"  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  there  was  a  list 
of  sins  made  with  prices  attached.  One 
might  commit  the  most  horrible  sin ;  if  he 
declared  himself  penitent  and  paid  the  price, 
it  was  all  forgiven.  This  led  to  a  great  in- 
crease of  sin.  Alexander  VI.,  who  was  pope 
when  the  age  of  the  Reformation  began,  tried 


MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  69 

to  poison  one  of  his  cardinals.  The  cardi- 
nal, hearing  of  the  plan,  caused  the  box  of 
poisoned  sweetmeats  to  be  placed  before  the 
pope,  who  ate  them  and  died." 

"  How  Luther  must  have  scolded  at  that !" 
said  Maggie. 

"  We  want  to  hear  the  rest  about  Luther 
at  Rome,"  said  Paul.  "  Please,  uncle,  tell 
us  more  about  him." 

"  Luther  left  Rome  full  of  grief  and  in- 
dignation on  account  of  the  evil  he  had  seen 
in  the  Church.  He  loved  the  Bible  more 
and  more,  and  studied  it  more  carefully 
when  he  returned  to  Wittemberg.  After  this 
he  was  made  doctor  of  theology,  and  the  sol- 
emn vow  he  then  made  led  to  his  work  as  a 
Reformer." 

"  What  was  the  vow  ?"  asked  Josie. 

"  He  promised  to  preach  Bible  doctrines 
faithfully,  to  teach  them  in  all  purity,  to 
study  them  all  his  life,  and  to  defend  them 
so  far  as  God  should  enable  him  by  arguing 
and  writing  against  false  teachers." 

"Oh,  that  made  him  fight  against  the 
priests,"  said  Charlie;  "they  were  false 
teachers,  weren't  they,  father?" 


70  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"Yes.  And  from  this  time  Luther  saw 
the  path  in  which  the  Lord  meant  him  to 
walk.  He  fought  one  evil  after  the  other 
with  a  strong  arm." 

"  Did  he  go  next  to  Scotland  ?"  inquired 
Maggie,  thinking  of  her  grandmother's  pa- 
pers. 

"  No ;  he  preached  and  taught  in  Ger- 
many, and  studied  the  Bible  carefully  and 
prayerfully.  The  elector  Frederick  built  a 
new  church  at  Wittemberg,  and  sent  Staupitz 
to  the  Low  Countries  to  collect  relics  to  put 
in  the  church.  Staupitz  was  the  vicar-gen- 
eral who  gave  Luther  the  Bible." 

"  What  are  relics  ?"  asked  Paul. 

"  Bones  of  men  and  women  whom  the 
Church  considered  unusually  holy — hair, 
skulls  and  such  things." 

"  How  silly  to  care  for  their  bones  !"  said 
Josie. 

"  The  vicar-general  told  Luther  to  take 
his  place  in  his  absence,  and  part  of  Luther's 
work  was  to  visit  forty  monasteries.  You 
may  be  sure  he  tried  to  make  the  way  of 
salvation  as  plain  to  these  monks  as  it  had 
become  to  him.  Salvation  by  faith  in  Jesus 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  71 

Christ  was  discussed  in  many  monasteries; 
and  so,  when  the  great  battle  came,  many 
brave  and  pious  men  went  out  from  the  mon- 
asteries into  the  world  and  became  active 
ministers  of  God's  word." 

"  I  read  about  that,"  said  Stephen.  "And 
the  year  when  Luther  visited  the  convents 
was  called  '  The  Morning  Star  of  the  Refor- 
mation.' ' 

"  What  year  was  it  ?"  asked  Josie. 

"The  year  1516,"  answered  Stephen. 
"  Luther  went  to  Erfurth,  where  he  used 
to  sweep  the  floors  and  trim  lamps." 

"  I  suppose  the  monks  didn't  dare  order 
him  about  if  he  was  vicar-general,"  said 
Maggie.  "I  hope  he  ordered  them." 

"  '  The  devil  is  not  cast  out  by  the  devil ' 
was  one  of  Luther's  sayings,"  said  Mrs.  Ar- 
nold ;  "  I  hope  he  did  not  forget  it  this  time." 

"  Why,  Charlie  has  gone  to  sleep,"  ex- 
claimed Josie. 

"And  Paul  can  hardly  hold  up  his  head," 
said  Mr.  Arnold.  "  I  have  talked  too  long. 
Good-night,  all." 


CHAPTER    Y. 

TETZEL.—IND  ULGENCES. 

WHEN  the  Arnold  children  gathered 
around  their  father  the  next  Sabbath 
evening,  he  opened  the  Reformation  volume 
and  read  : 

"A  great  agitation  reigned  at  that  time 
among  the  people  of  Germany.  The  Church 
had  opened  a  vast  market  on  the  earth. 
Judging  from  the  crowd  of  buyers  and  the 
noise  and  jests  of  the  dealers,  we  might  call 
it  a  fair,  but  a  fair  held  by  monks.  The 
merchandise  they  extolled,  offering  it  at  a 
reduced  price,  was,  they  said,  the  salvation 
of  souls." 

The  children  were  shocked  and  began  to 
ask  questions,  but  Mr.  Arnold  said,  "  Wait 
a  moment,  until  you  hear  more  about  it." 
And  the  only  question  he  answered  was  Jo- 
sie's,  "  In  what  year  was  this,  father  ?"  and 
he  said, 

"It  was  in    1517.       The  dealers   passed 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  73 

through  the  country  in  a  gay  carriage,  es- 
corted by  three  horsemen,  in  great  state  and 
spending  freely.  One  might  have  thought 
it  some  dignitary  on  a  royal  progress  with 
his  attendants  and  officers,  and  not  a  com- 
mon dealer  or  a  begging  monk.  When  the 
procession  approached  a  town,  a  messenger 
waited  upon  the  magistrate.  '  The  grace  of 
God  and  of  the  holy  Father  is  at  your  gates/ 
said  the  envoy." 

"  I  suppose  by  '  holy  Father '  he  meant 
the  pope?"  said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Yes. — Instantly  everything  was  in  mo- 
tion in  the  place.  The  clergy,  the  priests, 
the  nuns,  the  council,  the  schoolmasters,  the 
trades  with  their  flags — men  and  women, 
young  and  old — went  forth  to  meet  the  mer- 
chants with  lighted  tapers  in  their  hands, 
advancing  to  the  sound  of  music  and  of  all 
the  bells  of  the  place ;  *  so  that,'  says  an  his- 
torian, '  they  could  not  have  given  a  grander 
welcome  to  God  himself.'  Salutations  being 
exchanged,  the  whole  procession  moved  to- 
ward the  church.  The  pontiff's  bull  of 
grace  was  borne  in  front,  on  a  velvet  cush- 
ion or  on  a  cloth  of  gold." 


74  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  What  means  that  ?"  asked  Paul. 

" '  The  pontiff'  is  another  name  for  the 
pope,  and  the  paper  on  which  was  written 
his  forgiveness  was  laid  upon  this  velvet 
cushion. — The  chief  seller  of  indulgences 
followed,  supporting  a  large  red  wooden 
cross,  and  the  whole  procession  moved  in 
this  manner  amidst  singing,  prayer  and  the 
smoke  of  incense.  The  sound  of  organs  and 
a  concert  of  instruments  received  the  monk- 
ish dealer  and  his  attendants  into  the  church. 
The  cross  he  bore  with  him  was  erected  in 
front  of  the  altar ;  on  it  was  hung  the  pope's 
arms,  and  as  long  as  it  remained  there  the 
clergy  of  the  place,  the  penitentiaries  and 
the  sub-<X)mmissioners,  with  white  wands  in 
their  hands,  came  every  day  after  vespers  or 
before  the  salutation  to  do  homage  to  it." 

"What  are  'penitentiaries'?"  asked  Char- 
lie. 

"  Prisons,  goosey !"  exclaimed  Stephen. 

"  Not  so  fast,  Stephen,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 
"  Can  prisons  bow  down  to  crosses  ?  Look 
in  your  dictionary." 

Rather  abashed,  Stephen  searched  the 
dictionary,  and  found  several  meanings  for 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STOKIES.  75 

the  word  "  penitentiary."  As  he  read  them 
he  said, 

"  Penitents,  people  sorry  for  their  sins, 
I  suppose  it  means.  There's  another  mean- 
ing, father :  'In  the  ancient  Christian  Church 
it  meant  a  priest  who  received  the  private 
confession  of  the  people.'  And  here  is  still 
another  meaning:  'An  officer,  in  some  ca- 
thedrals, vested  with  power  from  the  bishop 
to  absolve.' — 'Absolve'  means  'to  free  from,' 
Maggie — to  free  from  sin." 

"  Yes,  Stephen. — But  do  go  on,  father ;  I 
want  to  hear  the  rest." 

"The  man  who  bore  the  great  red  cross 
and  had  the  most  to  do  was  John  Diezel  or 
Tetzel.  He  was  about  sixty-three  years  old 
and  had  a  very  loud  voice.  As  soon  as  the 
cross  was  lifted  up  Tetzel  ascended  the  pul- 
pit and  with  a  bold  tone  began,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  crowds  that  gathered,  to  exalt  the 
power  of  indulgences.  The  people  listened 
and  wondered  at  the  virtues  of  the  indul- 
gences. They  were  led  to  believe  that  as 
soon  as  they  gave  their  money  they  were 
certain  of  salvation  and  of  the  deliverance 
of  souls  from  purgatory. 


76  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  Pointing  to  the  great  red  cross  with  the 
pope's  arms  on  it,  Tetzel  said,  'This  cross 
has  as  much  efficacy  as  the  cross  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Draw  near,  and  I  will  give  you 
letters,  duly  sealed,  by  which  even  the  sins 
you  shall  hereafter  desire  to  commit  shall 
all  be  forgiven  you.  There  is  no  sin  so 
great  that  the  indulgences  cannot  remit  it ; 
only  pay  largely,  and  it  shall  be  forgiven. 
Indulgences  save  not  alone  the  living :  they 
also  save,  the  dead.  The  very  moment  the 
money  clinks  against  the  bottom  of  the  chest 
the  soul  escapes  from  purgatory  and  flies 
free  to  heaven." 

"  Oh,  what  a  bad  man  !"  exclaimed  Mag- 
gie. 

"  On  account  of  his  great  wickedness  the 
emperor  Maximilian  ordered  him  to  be  put 
in  a  sack  and  thrown  into  the  river;  but 
Frederick  of  Saxony  obtained  his  pardon." 

"I'm  sorry  for  that,"  said  Maggie;  "he 
might  better  have  been  drowned. — Don't 
you  think  so,  Paul?" 

"  I  don't  know,  Maggie.  I'd  rather  give 
him  a  chance  to  be  good." 

"  Paugh !    You  don't  know  those  fellows," 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  77 

exclaimed  Charlie.  "  There  wasn't  any  good 
in  them.  I'm  glad  the  Romanists  are  bet- 
ter now." 

"  How  much  better,  do  you  suppose  ?"  in- 
quired his  mother. 

"  Why,  mother !"  exclaimed  Stephen  and 
Charlie  at  once.  "  They  don't  do  such 
things  now." 

"  Don't  they  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"No,  mother." 

"  Boys,  do  you  know  why  ?" 

"No,  mother;  why?" 

"  Because  they  are  afraid  to  do  them.  We 
live  in  a  different  age,  but  their  spirit  is  the 
same." 

The  children  wonderingly  looked  at  Mrs. 
Arnold.  Her  words  surprised  them,  and 
her  tone  was  very  earnest. 

"Tell  us  what  they  do  now,"  said  Paul. 

There  was  a  moment's  pause,  and  then 
Mrs.  Arnold  said, 

"Suppose  you  try  to  find  out  for  your- 
selves the  truth  of  what  I  say." 

"How  can  we?" 

"  I  will  appoint  Stephen  to  look  into  this 
subject  and  report  to  us  every  time  we  meet," 


78  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

said  Mrs.  Arnold.  "  There  are  some  books 
in  the  garret  that  will  help  him." 

Stephen  was  glad  to  have  this  task  set  for 
him,  and  said  he  would  go  in  the  garret  that 
very  evening  and  look  for  them. 

"  Father,  what  did  Tetzel  do  with  all  the 
money  ?"  asked  Josie. 

Mr.  Arnold  read : 

" '  Do  you  know  why  our  Most  Holy  Lord 
distributes  so  rich  a  grace  ?  The  dilapidated 
church  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  is  to  be  re- 
stored, so  as  to  be  unparalleled  in  the  whole 
earth.  That  church  contains  the  bodies  of 
the  holy  apostles  Peter  and  Paul  and  a  vast 
company  of  martyrs.  Those  sacred  bodies, 
owing  to  the  present  condition  of  the  build- 
ing, are  now,  alas !  continually  trodden,  flood- 
ed, polluted,  dishonored  and  rotting  in  rain 
and  hail.  Ah!  shall  those  holy  ashes  be 
suffered  to  remain  degraded  in  the  mire  ?' ' 

"  Then  they  wanted  the  money  to  mend 
the  church?"  said  Paul. 

"  I  wouldn't  trust  them  with  it,"  remarked 
Stephen. 

"There  was  great  eagerness  among  the 
people  to  protect  these  sacred  bodies.  And 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  79 

you  must  always  remember,  children,  that 
Romanists  expect  to  be  saved  by  good  works. 
That  leads  them  to  do  many  hard  things  that 
others  are  not  willing  to  do.  No  one  wants 
to  be  lost ;  all  would  rather  be  saved,"  said 
Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Who  was  the  pope  then?"  asked  Maggie. 

"  Leo  X.,"  answered  Josie. 

"All  who  gave  money  were  forgiven  and 
saved,  but  all  who  opposed  were  excommu- 
nicated and  lost,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Had  Tetzel  a  Bible  ?"  inquired  Maggie. 

"  He  knew  how  to  quote  from  it,  Maggie. 
Hear  what  he  said  as  he  urged  people  to  buy : 
'  Blessed  are  the  eyes  that  see  what  you  see, 
for  I  tell  you  that  many  prophets  and  many 
kings  have  desired  to  see  the  things  which 
ye  see,  and  have  not  seen  them,  and  to  hear 
the  things  which  ye  hear,  and  have  not  heard 
them.'  And  then  he  pointed  to  the  strong- 
box in  which  the  money  was  received,  and 
called  three  times :  '  Bring  your  money ! 
Bring  your  money !  Bring  your  money !' 
Luther  says  he  uttered  this  cry  with  such 
a  dreadful  bellowing  that  one  might  have 
thought  some  wild  bull  was  rushing  among 


80  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

the  people  and  goring  them  with  his  horns. 
Then  he  came  down  from  the  pulpit,  ran 
toward  the  strong-box,  and  in  sight  of  all 
the  people  threw  in  a  piece  of  silver  with 
a  loud  sound." 

"  That  must  have  made  Luther  very  an- 
gry," said  Paul. 

"  Didn't  he  fight  him?"  asked  Charlie. 

"  I  should  think  every  one  would  have 
fought  him,"  said  Maggie. 

"  Tetzel  found  few  bold  enough  or  wise 
enough  to  oppose  him  ;  men  were  glad  to  get 
their  sins  forgiven  so  easily.  All  the  faith- 
ful were  invited  to  come  and  confess  in  the 
spot  where  the  red  cross  was  set  up.  None 
but  the  sick  and  the  infirm  and  the  wealthy 
were  excused." 

"  Why  excuse  the  wealthy  ?"  asked  Josie. 

"  Oh,  servants  could  bring  their  money, 
and  that  was  all  the  priests  wanted." 

"And  then  they  had  confessionals,"  said 
Stephen,  who  had  been  reading  a  little  in 
the  History. 

"  What  are  they  ?"  asked  Paul. 

"  Little  stalls  with  partitions,  where  the 
priest  sits  and  hears  the  penitent  on  the  other 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  81 

side  of  the  partition  whisper  his  or  her  sins 
through  a  small  opening,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"I  have  seen  them,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold, 
"in  the  Albany  cathedral." 

"  What !"  exclaimed  Maggie ;  "  do  they 
have  them  in  our  country  ?" 

"Yes,  in  many  places,"  answered  her 
mother. 

"  Confession  of  sin,  as  the  Scripture  en- 
joins it,  is  both  proper  and  profitable,"  said 
Mr.  Arnold,  "  but  confession  in  the  Roman 
system  is  different  and  is  positively  hurtful. 
The  Bible  does  not  tell  us  to  go  to  the  priest 
instead  of  to  God  and  to  the  person  or  the 
persons  injured.  The  private  confessional 
encourages  sin.  Romanists  are  required  to 
confess  their  sins  at  least  once  every  year, 
and  they  must  try  faithfully  to  perform  the 
penance  laid  upon  them.  After  this  they 
must  come  to  the  sacrament — at  least,  at 
Easter.  And  whoever  fails  to  do  this  is 
to  be  excommunicated  out  of  the  Church ; 
and  if  he  die,  he  is  not  to  be  allowed  Chris- 
tian burial. 

"  But  to  return  to  Tetzel.  The  people 
came  in  crowds  to  the  confessors.  They 


82  MR   ARNOLD'S  STORIKS. 

came,  not  with  contrite  hearts,  but  with 
money  in  their  hands.  Even  beggars  man- 
aged to  get  money  to  put  into  Tetzel's  strong- 
box. Complete  pardon  of  all  sins  was  prom- 
ised to  all  who  purchased  an  indulgence. 
And,  as  to  those  who  desire  to  deliver  souls 
from  purgatory,  and  to  procure  for  them  the 
forgiveness  of  all  their  sins,  let  them  put 
their  money  in  the  chest ;  but  it  is  not  need- 
ful that  they  should  feel  sorrow  of  heart  or 
make  confession  with  the  lips.  Let  them 
only  hasten  to  bring  their  money,  for  they 
will  thus  do  a  work  most  profitable  to  de- 
parted souls  and  to  the  building  of  the 
church  of  St.  Peter's." 

"  Was  that  the  way  that  elegant  church 
was  built?"  exclaimed  Stephen. 

"  Have  you  seen  it  ?"  asked  Paul. 

"  No,  but  I'd  very  much  like  to  see  it," 
said  Stephen. 

"  It's  beautiful,  Stephen." 

"  Why,  have  you  seen  it,  Paul  ?" 

"  No ;  I've  only  seen  the  picture,  Cousin 
Stephen.  But  I  don't  like  it  as  much  now, 
when  I  know  how  they  got  the  money." 

"Funny  little  chap,"  whispered  Stephen 


MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  83 

to  his  mother ;  "  he  talks  as  if  he  were  as 
old  as  father." 

"  When  the  sale  of  indulgences  began, 
those  who  came  to  buy  were  examined  very 
closely,  and  pay  was  demanded  according  to 
their  wealth  and  rank.  Poorly-dressed  per- 
sons were  charged  less  than  those  who  came 
richly  attired.  Kings,  queens,  archbishops 
and  bishops  had  to  pay  heavily  if  they 
wanted  to  indulge  in  sin. 

"  If  a  public  offender  yet  unpunished  by 
civil  law  came  to  the  confessional,  he  was 
obliged  to  do  public  penance.  They  led 
him  to  a  chapel,  where  he  was  stripped  of 
his  clothes,  his  shoes  taken  off  his  feet  and 
he  left  in  his  shirt.  They  made  him  fold 
his  arms  upon  his  breast,  and  placed  a  light 
in  one  hand  and  a  wax  taper  in  the  other. 
Then  the  penitent  walked  at  the  head  of  the 
procession,  which  passed  to  the  red  cross. 
He  kneeled  till  the  singing  and  the  collect 
were  ended ;  then  the  commissary  gave  out 
the  psalm  '  Miserere  mei.' ' 

"  That  means,"  said  Stephen,  "  '  Have 
mercy  upon  me.' '  He  looked  at  Maggie, 
and  she  nodded  her  head  in  thanks. 


84  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Mr.  Arnold  continued : 

"  The  confessors  then  led  the  penitent  to 
the  commissary,  who,  taking  the  rod  and 
striking  him  three  times  gently  on  the  back, 
said,  '  God  take  pity  on  thee  and  pardon  thy 
sin.'  After  this,  before  the  cross,  he  was 
pronounced  forgiven." 

"  Then  did  they  get  their  letters  of  for- 
giveness ?"  asked  Josie.  "And  did  you  ever 
see  one?" 

"  Yes ;  D'Aubigne  gives  one  here  in  this 
volume;"  and  Mr.  Arnold  read  it  aloud. 
"It  begins  with  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  ends  with  the  names  of  the  Fa- 
ther, the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost,"  said 
Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  worst  of  it,  such  abomi- 
nable evil  done  in  the  Lord's  name,"  said 
Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  And  Brother  John  Tetzel  signs  it,"  said 
Stephen. 

"  If  any  of  the  convents  cried  out  against 
this  trade  in  indulgences,  means  were  soon 
found  to  quiet  them.  When  this  mission 
ended,  the  chest  was  opened  and  the  money 
carefully  counted  and  entered  in  the  books." 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  85 

"  Did  Tetzel  put  it  all  in  his  own  pocket  ?" 
asked  Charlie. 

"  He  couldn't  get  it  all  in,"  said  Paul. 

"  The  chest  had  three  keys,"  said  Stephen  ; 
"that  looks  as  if  they  were  afraid  to  trust 
Tetzel." 

"  Did  it  ?"  inquired  Maggie. 

"  Yes.  Tetzel  had  one,  a  treasurer  had 
another,  and  the  third  was  put  in  charge  of 
the  civil  authority.  I  must  tell  Maggie  a 
story  about  Tetzel,  who  was  none  too  good 
to  put  the  money  in  his  pocket.  At  Zwickau 
he  had  collected  a  large  amount  of  money 
for  pardons  given.  The  evening  before  he 
left,  the  chaplains  and  their  acolytes — " 

Here  Mr.  Arnold  paused  and  looked  first 
at  Maggie,  then  at  Stephen,  who,  taking  the 
hint,  opened  the  dictionary  and  read  :  "  'Aco- 
lyte, an  inferior  church-servant,  next  in  rank 
below  the  sub-deacon ;  one  who  trims  the 
lamps,  lights  the  church  and  does  other 
like  services.' ' 

"  The  chaplains  and  their  acolytes  called 
upon  him  to  give  them  a  farewell  repast. 
The  request  was  reasonable,  but  what  was  to 
be  done?  The  money  was  already  counted 


86  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

and  sealed  up.  In  the  morning  he  had  the 
large  bell  tolled.  A  crowd  hurried  to  the 
church ;  every  one  thought  that  something 
extraordinary  had  happened.  Then  he  told 
the  crowd  that  groans  from  the  cemetery  had 
awakened  him  in  the  night.  They  came 
from  a  poor  soul  in  torment  that  cried  to  be 
delivered.  To  deliver  that  unhappy  soul  he 
was  willing  to  stay  a  day  longer,  and  he 
would  be  the  first  to  contribute  money.  The 
gifts  came  fast,  and  Tetzel,  with  the  chap- 
lains and  acolytes,  sat  down  to  a  merry  feast 
that  night." 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  this  money  paid 
for  the  feast  ?"  exclaimed  Josie. 

"That's  what  I  do  mean  to  say,  Josie." 

"  How  shocking !"  cried  Josie.  "  Father, 
they  are  not  so  bad  now." 

"  No ;  I  do  not  think  that  so  bold  a  crime 
would  be  committed  now." 

"The  dealers  in  indulgences  established 
themselves  at  Hagenau.  The  wife  of  a  shoe- 
maker, against  her  husband's  wishes,  bought 
an  indulgence,  and  paid  for  it  a  gold  florin. 
A  florin  in  Germany  is  worth  about  one 
dollar  and  sixty-seven  cents  of  our  money. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  87 

Shortly  after,  she  died ;  and  the  husband 
did  not  have  mass  said  for  her  soul.  The 
curate  charged  him  with  contempt  of  relig- 
ion, and  the  judge  of  Hagenau  summoned 
hjm  to  appear  before  him. 

"The  shoemaker  put  in  his  pocket  his 
wife's  indulgence  and  went  before  the  judge. 

"  *  Is  your  wife  dead  ?'  asked  the  judge. 

" '  Yes.' 

"  '  What  have  you  done  with  her  ?' 

" '  I  buried  her  and  commended  her  soul 
to  God.' 

" '  But  have  you  had  a  mass  said  for  the 
salvation  of  her  soul  ?' 

" '  I  have  not.  It  was  not  necessary.  She 
went  to  heaven  the  moment  of  her  death.' 

" '  How  do  you  know  that  ?' 

"  '  Here  is  the  evidence  of  it ;'  and  as  he 
spoke  the  man  drew  out  of  his  pocket  the 
letter  of  indulgence  and  read  it.  It  prom- 
ised that  the  woman  who  had  received  it 
would  not  go  into  purgatory,  but  straight 
into  heaven. 

" '  If  the  curate  pretends  that  a  mass  is 
necessary  after  that,'  said  the  shoemaker, 
'  then  my  wife  has  been  cheated  by  our  holy 


88  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Father  the  pope ;  but  if  she  has  not  been 
cheated,  then  the  curate  is  deceiving  me/ 

"  The  curate  could  make  no  reply,  and  the 
shoemaker  was  dismissed." 

"  I  read  about  that,"  said  Stephen. 

"  It  isn't  fair  for  you  to  go  ahead  and  read 
it  before  us. — Is  it,  father  ?"  said  Maggie. 

"  I  see  no  objection  if  he  likes  to  do  it," 
answered  her  father. — "  What  else  did  you 
read,  Stephen?" 

"  I  read  about  Myconius,  father — how  he 
went  to  hear  Tetzel  and  asked  for  a  free 
pardon." 

"  Did  he  get  it  ?" 

"  Oh  no,  sir.  Tetzel  or  some  of  his  deal- 
ers tried  their  best  to  get  him  to  pay  a  little. 
He  said  he  couldn't.  At  last  he  got  angry 
with  them,  and  said  he  would  have  none  of 
the  indulgences  that  are  bought  and  sold. 
He  said  if  he  had  really  wanted  one  he 
could  have  sold  one  of  his  books  and  bought 
one.  What  he  wanted  was  to  try  them  and 
expose  them.  He  told  them  they  would 
have  to  account  to  God  for  having,  for  the 
sake  of  a  little  money,  missed  the  salvation 
of  a  soul." 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  89 

As  Stephen  stopped  speaking  his  father 
opened  the  book  and  read : 

"  '  I  was  grieved/  says  Myconius,  '  at  be- 
ing thus  sent  away  without  pity.  But  I  felt 
in  myself  a  Comforter  who  whispered  that 
there  is  a  God  in  heaven  who  forgives  re- 
pentant souls,  without  money  and  without 
price,  for  the  sake  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 
As  I  left  these  people  the  Holy  Spirit  touched 
my  heart.  I  burst  into  tears,  and  with  sighs 
and  groans  prayed  to  the  Lord  :  "  O  God, 
since  these  men  have  refused  remission  of 
sins  because  I  had  no  money  to  pay,  do  thou, 
Lord,  take  pity  upon  me,  and  forgive  them 
in  mere  mercy."  I  went  to  my  room,  took 
the  crucifix  from  my  desk,  placed  it  on  my 
chair  and  kneeled  before  it.  I  cannot  here 
tell  what  I  experienced.  I  asked  of  God  to 
be  my  father,  and  to  make  me  what  he  would 
have  me.' 

"  That  prayer  was  answered :  Myconius 
became  a  Reformer  and  an  historian  of  the 
Reformation." 

"  Have  we  got  done  with  Tetzel  ?"  asked 
Maggie. 

"Oh   no. — Father,   tell   them   about   the 


90  MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

gentleman  who  heard  Tetzel  at  Leipsic,"  said 
Stephen,  "and  asked  an  indulgence  for  re- 
venge he  was  going  to  take  on  one  of  his 
enemies." 

"  Go  on,  Stephen,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Tetzel  said  he  had  full  power  from  the 
pope  to  forgive  all  sins,  but  he  and  the  gen- 
tleman had  some  trouble  about  the  price. 
At  length  they  settled  that,  and  then  Tetzel 
set  out  on  his  journey.  The  gentleman  and 
his  servants  laid  wait  for  him  in  the  woods 
and  gave  him  a  good  beating,  and  carried 
off  his  chest  of  indulgence-money.  Tetzel 
sued  him,  but  the  gentleman  showed  the  let- 
ter of  indulgence,  which  forgave  the  sin ; 
and  Tetzel  had  signed  this  letter. 

"  The  people  began  to  doubt  the  power 
and  authority  of  the  pope,  and  they  asked 
why,  if  the  pope  had  power,  he  did  not,  out 
of  love  and  pity,  deliver  souls  from  torment. 
Everything  was  done  for  pay.  '  "  Bring  hith- 
er your  money,"  '  said  the  people,  '  is  the  be- 
ginning, the  middle  and  the  end  of  their 
sermons.'  The  people  were  weary  of  the 
shameful  tricks  played  upon  them.  But 
what  could  they  do  ?  Leo  X.  needed  money, 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  91 

and  so  did  Albert,  archbishop  and  elector  of 
Germany." 

"  What  did  Albert  do  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Ar- 
nold. 

.  "  He  begged  from  the  pope  the  contract 
for  the  '  farming '  of  all  the  indulgences,  or, 
as  they  expressed  it  at  Rome,  '  the  contract 
for  the  sins  of  Germany.'  So  the  pope  and 
the  archbishop  divided  the  spoils,  and  Tet- 
zel  was  chosen  to  take  charge  of  the  work. 
I  read,"  said  Stephen,  "  that  when  Luther 
first  heard  about  Tetzel  and  the  great  com- 
motion he  was  making,  he  said,  '  God  will- 
ing, I  will  make  a  hole  in  his  drum.' ' 

"  I  guess  he  did,"  exclaimed  Charlie. 

"And  yet  at  this  time  Luther  was  full 
of  respect  for  the  Church  and  for  the  pope," 
said  Mr.  Arnold.  "  One  day,  at  confessional 
at  Wittemberg,  some  people  were  confessing 
their  sins  to  Luther ;  and  when  he  reproved 
them,  they  replied  that  they  did  not  mean  to 
give  up  their  sins.  Luther  was  shocked,  and 
he  told  them  that  he  could  not  forgive  them. 
Then  they  showed  him  their  letters  of  in- 
dulgence. But  Luther  said  he  had  nothing 
to  do  with  these.  '  If  you  do  not  turn  from 


92  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

the  evil  of  your  ways,'  he  said,  '  you  will  all 
perish.  Have  a  care  how  you  give  ear  to 
the  indulgences.'  In  great  alarm  these 
people  went  to  Tetzel,  and  told  him  that 
an  Augustine  monk  treated  his  letters  with 
contempt.  Tetzel  bellowed  with  anger.  In 
the  pulpit  he  used  insulting  expressions  and 
curses,  and,  to  strike  the  people  with  more 
terror,  he  had  a  fire  lighted  several  times  in 
the  public  square,  and  declared  that  he  was 
ordered  by  the  pope  to  burn  the  heretics 
who  should  dare  to  oppose  his  most  holy 
indulgences." 

"  They  wouldn't  dare  burn  anybody,  would 
they?"  asked  Paul,  looking  at  his  aunt  as  he 
spoke. 

"They  would,  and  they  have  burned 
many,"  replied  Mrs.  Arnold. 

Mr.  Arnold  looked  from  one  to  the  other 
of  the  little  group  around  him,  and  then 
seemed  lost  in  thought.  When  Maggie 
broke  the  silence  that  fell  upon  them,  he 
turned  to  Mrs.  Arnold  and  said. 

"Is  it  best  to  tell  the  children  these  hor- 
rible things?" 

And  she  answered : 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES,  93 

"  Yes ;  I  think  it  is  best  for  them  to  know 
just  what  popery  is  and  what  it  has  done." 

"And  now  began  the  fight  between  Lu- 
ther and  Tetzel,"  said  Mr.  Arnold.  "In 
and  out  of  the  pulpit,  Luther  warned  every 
one  against  the  errors  of  the  day.  He  has 
no  fears  for  himself:  no  matter  whom  he 
displeases,  he  must  speak  out." 

"  Like  John  the  Baptist,"  said  Josie. 

"  If  he  sought  to  please  men,  he  would 
not  be  the  servant  of  Christ,"  said  Mrs. 
Arnold. 

Taking  up  the  book  Mr.  Arnold  read : 

"  The  feast  of  All  Saints  was  a  very  im- 
portant day  at  Wittemberg,  and  especially  at 
the  church  which  the  elector  Frederick  had 
built  and  filled  with  relics.  On  this  occa- 
sion those  relics,  encased  in  gold  and  silver 
and  adorned  with  precious  stones,  were  set 
out  to  dazzle  the  eyes  of  the  people  with 
their  magnificence.  Whoever  on  that  great 
day  visited  the  church,  and  there  confessed 
himself,  obtained  a  plenary  indulgence.  On 
that  great  day  the  pilgrims  flocked  in  crowds 
to  Wittemberg." 

"  A  full  and  complete  pardon,  Paul ;  that 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  95 

own  boldness,  I  have  read,"  said  Mrs.  Ar- 
nold. "  God  surely  guided  him  in  a  way 
that  he  knew  not." 

"  The  bishop  of  Brandenburg,  a  learned 
and  pious  man,  told  Luther  that  he  would 
bring  upon  himself  much  trouble  and  grief 
in  attacking  the  power  of  the  Church,  that 
the  attempt  would  be  too  much  for  his 
strength,  and  that  he  would  do  well  to  give 
up  the  work  he  had  entered  upon.  '  They 
thought,  said  Luther  long  afterward,  '  that 
the  pope  would  be  too  powerful  for  a  poor 
mendicant  monk  like  me.' ': 

"  Bishops  and  princes  failed  to  help  him," 
said  Mrs.  Arnold ;  "  but  the  Lord  was  his 
strong  helper." 

"  Luther's  theses  caused  a  great  agitation. 
In  about  a  fortnight  their  contents  had 
spread  over  Germany,  and  in  less  than  a 
month  they  reached  Rome." 

"How  did  the  pope  like  them?"  asked 
Charlie. 

"  He  was  amused  at  first ;  and  when  the 
master  of  the  Vatican  palace  begged  him  to 
treat  Luther  as  a  heretic,  he  answered  :  '  That 
same  brother,  Martin  Luther,  is  a  man  of 


96  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

talent,  and  all  that  is  said  against  him  is 
mere  monkish  jealousy.' ' 

"  He  little  knew  what  those  theses  would 
accomplish,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  They  were  translated  into  Dutch  and 
Spanish,  and  were  carried  by  a  traveler  and 
sold  as  far  as  Jerusalem.  They  went  into 
the  study  of  the  learned,  the  cell  of  the 
monk  and  the  palace  of  the  princes.  Dr. 
Flek,  prior  of  one  of  the  cloisters,  had  for 
some  time  given  up  reading  mass,  but  he  had 
told  no  one  his  true  reason.  One  day  he 
found  these  theses  of  Luther  in  the  convent 
refectory ;  he  took  them  up  and  read,  and 
exclaimed  in  great  joy,  '  Oh,  now  at  last  one 
is  come  who  has  been  long  waited  for  and 
will  tell  you  all. — Look  there,  monks !'  He 
wrote  to  Dr.  Luther,  urging  him  by  all 
means  to  continue  the  glorious  struggle 
with  courage." 

"  I  guess  Luther  was  glad  to  have  some 
kind  words,"  said  Josie. 

"  Yes ;  Luther  called  him  '  a  man  full  of 
joy  and  consolation/  "  said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Then  the  emperor  Maximilian  read  and 
admired  the  theses.  '  Take  care  of  this 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  97 

monk,'  he  wrote  to  Frederick  of  Saxony, 
'  for  a  time  may  come  when  we  may  have 
need  of  him.'  He  thought  Luther  might 
become  a  powerful  ally  of  Germany  in  her 
struggle  with  Rome.  '  He  will  show  won- 
ders to  the  monks,'  he  said.  They  kindled 
a  light  in  many  a  cell.  An  old  priest  re- 
marked, '  Dear  brother  Martin,  if  you  suc- 
ceed in  casting  down  that  purgatory  and 
those  sellers  of  papers,  truly  you  will  be  a 
great  man.'  In  his  own  convent  the  prior 
and  the  sub-prior  were  greatly  alarmed. 
They  went  to  Luther's  cell  and  said,  '  Pray 
do  not  bring  disgrace  upon  your  order.' — 
'  Dear  fathers,'  answered  Luther, '  if  the  thing 
is  not  of  God,  it  will  come  to  naught ;  if  it 
is,  let  it  go  forward.'  The  prior  and  the  sub- 
prior  were  silent.  '  The  thing  is  going  for- 
ward still,'  added  Luther,  after  telling  this ; 
'  and  if  it  please  God,  it  will  go  on  better 
and  better  to  the  end.  Amen.' ' 

"  He  received  much  reproach  and  perse- 
cution," remarked  Mrs.  Arnold,  "  but  he 
went  forward  boldly,  trusting  in  God." 

"  Sometimes,"  said  Mr.  Arnold,  "  he  was 
disturbed  and  dejected  when  he  thought  of 


98  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

the  powerful  enemies  he  had  at  Rome.  Old 
doubts  came  back  to  trouble  him.  He  trem- 
bled to  set  himself  in  opposition  to  that 
Church  which  he  had  always  been  taught 
to  reverence.  '  I  began  this  affair,"  he  said, 
1  with  great  fear  and  trembling.  What  was 
I  at  that  time?  A  poor  wretched,  contempt- 
ible friar,  more  like  a  corpse  than  a  man. 
Who  was  I,  to  oppose  the  pope's  majesty, 
before  which  not  only  the  kings  of  the  earth 
and  the  whole  world  trembled,  but  also,  if  I 
may  so  speak,  Heaven  and  Hell  were  con- 
strained to  obey  the  slightest  intimation  of 
his  will.  No  one  can  know  what  I  suffered 
those  first  two  years,  and  in  what  dejection 
— I  might  say  in  what  despair — I  was  often 
plunged.' ' 

"Did  Tetzel  fight  against  him?"  asked 
Stephen. 

"  He  tried  in  a  feeble  way  to  answer  his 
sermons,  but  Luther's  boldness  frightened 
him.  On  the  20th  of  January,  1518,  a 
public  disputation  took  place.  Tetzel  called 
the  monks  from  all  the  neighboring  cloisters ; 
more  than  three  hundred  assembled.  Tetzel 
read  to  them  his  theses.  They  were  very 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  99 

different  from  Luther's,  but  the  three  hun- 
dred monks  greatly  praised  them.  A  young 
student  who  had  read  and  admired  Luther's 
theses  raised  his  voice  indignantly  and  at- 
tacked Tetzel.  After  some  attempts  at  an 
answer  Tetzel  abandoned  the  field.  After- 
ward he  set  up  a  pulpit  and  a  scaffold  in  one 
of  the  suburbs  of  Frankfort.  He  mounted 
the  pulpit  and  hurled  his  thunders  at  Luther 
with  an  unsparing  hand,  exclaiming,  'The 
heretic  Luther  ought  to  be  burned  alive.' 
Then,  placing  Luther's  theses  and  sermons 
on  the  scaffold,  he  set  fire  to  them.  Many 
would  have  been  glad  to  have  burned  Lu- 
ther, but  God  was  watching  over  him." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PHILIP  MELANCHTHON. 

"AFTER  Tetzel  had  burned  Luther's 
<£*'  theses  he  sent  his  own  into  Saxony,  to 
do  away  with  the  ill-effects  of  Luther's.  A 
man  was  sent  to  Wittemberg  to  distribute 
them  there.  The  students  were  indignant 
at  the  treatment  of  Luther's  theses,  and  they 
surrounded  the  man  and  inquired  in  threat- 
ening tones  how  he  dared  come  there.  Some 
purchased  copies,  others  seized  them  ;  so  they 
secured  his  whole  stock,  which  amounted  to 
eight  hundred  copies.  Then,  without  letting 
the  elector  or  the  professor  or  Luther  know 
what  they  were  going  to  do,  on  the  gates  of 
the  university  they  posted  bills  bearing  these 
words  :  '  Whosoever  desires  to  be  present  at 
the  burning  and  obsequies  of  the  theses  of 
Tetzel,  let  him  repair  at  two  o'clock  to  the 
market-place.' ' 

"  Crowds  came,  I  don't  doubt,"  said  Ste- 
phen. 

100 


MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  101 

"  Wasn't  it  a  good  thing  to  do  ?"  said 
Charlie,  approvingly. 

"  It  was  an  application  of  the  '  eye-for- 
an-eye-and-a-tooth-for-a-tooth '  principle," 
said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"Auntie  doesn't  think  it  was  right,"  said 
Paul. 

"  No,  it  was  not  Christ's  way ;  but  we  can 
hardly  wonder  at  their  doing  it,"  answered 
Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  What  did  Luther  say  ?"  asked  Josie. 

"  He  was  grieved,  especially  when  some 
persons  thought  he  had  had  something  to 
do  with  it.  'I  am  surprised,'  he  wrote  to 
his  old  master  at  Erfurth,  'that  you  could 
think  I  had  anything  to  do  with  the  burn- 
ing of  Tetzel's  theses.' ' 

"  Luther  wouldn't  do  such  a  thing,"  ex- 
claimed Maggie. 

"  Men  began  to  range  themselves  for  bat- 
tle. Arguments  and  threats  flew  thick  and 
fast.  The  bishop  of  Brandenburg,  sitting 
at  his  fireside,  said,  '  I  will  not  lay  my  head 
down  in  peace  until  I  have  cast  Martin  into 
the  fire  like  this  fagot,'  as  he  spoke  casting 
a  fagot  on  the  blazing  hearth. 


102  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"The  Dominicans,  from  their  pulpit,  an- 
athematized the  infamous  heretic." 

"  What  is  '  heretic '  ?"  asked  Paul. 

"  What  is  *  anathematized '  ?"  asked  Mag- 
gie, both  interrupting  Mr.  Arnold  at  once. 

"Everybody  who  did  not  think  just  as 
they  did  they  called  '  heretics,' "  said  Ste- 
phen. 

"  That  is  about  as  good  a  definition  as  I 
could  give,"  said  Mr.  Arnold.  "  Every  one 
who  did  not  think  as  they  did  in  religious 
matters  the  Romanists  called  '  heretics.' ' 

"And  what  does  'anathematized'  mean, 
father?"  repeated  Maggie. 

"  It  means  they  cursed  them." 

"  That  wasn't  Christlike,"  remarked  Paul, 
in  his  old-fashioned  way. 

"  Let  us  have  more  about  the  theses,"  said 
Stephen. 

"Some  time  after  publishing  his  theses 
Luther  wrote  an  explanation  of  them,  mak- 
ing their  meaning  as  plain  as  he  possibly 
could.  He  repeated  what  he  had  said  about 
true  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  with- 
out any  indulgence.  He  again  said  that  the 
pope  had  no  more  power  than  the  lowest 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  103 

priest  to  do  anything  beyond  simply  declar- 
ing the  forgiveness  that  God  had  already 
granted.  He  declared  that  the  Bible  was 
the  only  rule  of  faith.  'I  care  little,'  he 
wrote,  '  what  pleases  or  displeases  the  pope  ; 
he  is  a  man  like  other  men.'  At  the  same 
time  he  said,  '  We  have  a  very  good  pope  in 
Leo  X.  His  sincerity  and  learning  are  a 
matter  of  joy  to  us.'  Then,  with  great  bold- 
ness, he  declared,  'The  Church  requires  to 
be  reformed.  And  it  is  a  work  neither  for 
one  man,  as  the  pope,  nor  for  several,  as  the 
cardinals  and  fathers  in  council  assembled, 
but  for  the  whole  world ;  or,  rather,  it  is  a 
work  which  belongs  to  God  alone.  As  to 
the  time  when  such  reformation  shall  com- 
mence, He  only  knows  it  who  has  appointed 
all  time.  The  barriers  are  thrown  down, 
and  it  is  no  longer  in  our  power  to  restrain 
the  overflowing  billows.' 

"  Up  to  this  time  Luther  had  respect  for 
the  pope.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  Leo  X.,  ex- 
plaining his  feelings  and  asking  the  pope  to 
protect  and  help  him.  'Destroy  my  cause 
or  help  it,  take  my  life  or  restore  it,  as  you 
please:  I  will  receive  your  voice  as  that 


104  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

of  Christ  himself,  who  presides  and  speaks 
through  you.  If  I  have  deserved  death,  I 
refuse  not  to  die.' ' 

"  I  would  not  give  in  in  that  way  to  the 
pope,"  exclaimed  Charlie. 

"Well,  that  was  because  he  had  been 
brought  up  to  think  the  pope  was  head 
over  all,"  said  Josie. 

"  But  Rome  had  thoughts  of  vengeance 
against  him.  One  of  the  cardinals  wrote, 
in  the  pope's  name,  to  the  elector  Frederick 
to  warn  him  against  protecting  Luther." 

"Did  Luther  know  about  it?"  asked  Mag- 
gie. 

"Yes;  he  said,  'The  cardinal  Raphael 
would  have  been  well  pleased  to  see  me 
burned  alive  by  Duke  Frederick.' ': 

"Was  Frederick  of  Saxony  a  good  Ro- 
manist?" asked  Stephen. 

"  Yes ;  he  always  had  been ;  and  the  car- 
dinal's letter  made  a  great  impression  upon 
him.  But  it  was  a  rule  of  his  never  to 
move  hastily.  He  thought  much  and  care- 
fully examined  both  sides.  He  did  not 
think  it  was  necessary  to  be  a  slave  to  the 
pope. 


MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  105 

"Luther  now  thought  he  was  going  to 
be  excommunicated,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"What  is  that?"  asked  Paul. 

"  To  be  excommunicated  is  to  be  cut  off 
from  the  communion  and  fellowship  of  the 
Church,"  said  Stephen  ;  for  his  father  seemed 
to  look  to  him  to  give  all  the  definitions. 

"  Luther,  expecting  to  be  excommunicated, 
preached  a  bold  sermon  from  the  Wittem- 
berg  pulpit.  He  explained  the  difference 
between  inward  and  outward  excommuni- 
cation :  inward  shuts  one  out  from  commu- 
nion with  God ;  outward  shuts  one  out  from 
the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  Church. 
1  No  one/  said  Luther,  '  can  separate  a  man 
from  communion  with  God  but  that  man 
himself  by  his  own  sins.  Blessed  is  that 
man  who  dies  under  an  unjust  sentence  of 
excommunication !  While,  for  righteous- 
ness' sake,  he  suffers  a  cruel  judgment  from 
men,  he  receives  from  God  the  crown  of 
everlasting  happiness.'  Some  praised,  oth- 
ers blamed,  this  bold  language.  But  Lu- 
ther did  not  now  stand  alone ;  he  had 
aroused  all  Germany,  and  many  hailed  him 
with  affection  and  respect.  Daily  the  num- 


106  MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

her  lessened  of  those  who  came  seeking  par- 
don with  money  in  their  hands,  and  in  many 
hearts  was  kindled  a  desire  to  obtain  salva- 
tion through  Christ.  Since  the  first  ages 
of  the  Church  there  had  not  been  witnessed 
such  hungering  and  thirsting  after  right- 
eousness." 

Mr.  Arnold  paused  and  turned  over  page 
after  page  of  the  volume  he  held  in  his 
hand. 

Paul  gave  a  little  sigh,  and  said, 

"  I  hope  he  didn't  have  any  more  trouble 
after  this?" 

"  Why,  little  chap,  you  take  it  hard,"  said 
Stephen,  giving  the  boy  a  wondering  look. 

"His  troubles  were  not  yet  over,  Paul. 
The  pope  sent  for  him  to  come  to  trial  at 
Rome.  Luther's  friends  were  very  much 
afraid  to  let  him  go." 

"  Why,  uncle  ?" 

"They  were  afraid  somebody  would  im- 
prison him  or  kill  him.  They  worked  very 
hard  to  prevent  Luther's  going  to  Rome,  and 
the  pope  worked  as  hard  to  get  him.  The 
pope  wrote  to  the  emperor  Maximilian  and 
to  the  German  princes  to  help :  '  When  you 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  107 

have  secured  his  person,  cause  him  to  be  de- 
tained in  safe  custody,  that  he  may  be 
brought  before  us.  If  he  should  return  to 
a  sense  of  his  duty  and  ask  pardon  for  so 
great  an  offence  freely  and  of  his  own  ac- 
cord, we  give  you  power  to  receive  him  into 
the  unity  of  the  holy  Mother  Church.'  " 

"  Suppose  he  didn't ;  what  then  ?"  asked 
Charlie. 

" '  If  he  persists  in  his  stubbornness  and 
you  fail  to  get  possession  of  his  person,  we 
give  you  power  to  proscribe  him  in  all 
places  in  Germany,  to  put  away,  curse  and 
excommunicate  all  those  who  are  attached 
to  him,  and  to  enjoin  all  Christians  to  shun 
their  society,' "  read  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  How  wicked !"  cried  Maggie.  "  I  don't 
see  how  Luther  ever  could  have  liked  the 
pope." 

"All  earthly  powers — emperor,  pope, 
princes  and  legates — were  put  in  motion 
against  the  bold  monk.  Is  it  any  wonder 
if  he  was  sore  troubled  ?  Just  at  this  time 
God  sent  him  a  friend  who  was  a  great  com- 
fort to  him ;  his  name  was  Philip  Melanch- 
thon.  He  was  a  young  German  student  of 


108  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

great  genius.  He  began  to  deliver  lectures 
on  philosophy  when  he  was  only  seventeen 
years  old.  At  twenty-one  he  was  made  pro- 
fessor of  Greek  at  the  Wittemberg  Univer- 
sity. Here  he  came  under  the  influence  of 
Luther,  and  became  a  mighty  power  in  the 
Reformation.  He  was  passionately  fond  of 
Greek.  The  year  before  Melanchthon  came 
to  Wittemberg,  Luther  made  some  attempts 
toward  translating  the  Bible.  He  got  to- 
gether as  many  Greek  and  Latin  books  as 
he  could  collect.  With  the  help  of  Me- 
lanchthon, he  now  went  forward  with  new 
energy." 

"  What  was  he  translating  it  for  ?"  asked 
Charlie. 

"He  was  translating  it  into  German,  so 
that  those  who  did  not  understand  Latin 
and  Greek  could  read  it  in  their  own  lan- 
guage. Melanchthon  was  second  only  to 
Luther  among  the  Reformers.  In  disposi- 
tion he  was  gentle,  amiable  and  zealous.  He 
had  great  genius  and  a  great  thirst  for  knowl- 
edge. He  was  very  different  from  Luther, 
and  by  his  calmness  often  checked  Luther's 
impetuosity.  He  was  open-hearted  and  gen- 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STOKIES.  109 

erous.  Melanchthon  was  also  a  great  lover 
of  the  Bible,  always  carrying  it  with  him, 
and  studying  it  whenever  he  could.  Me- 
lanchthon was  called  '  the  theologian  of  the 
Reformation.'  A  modest,  silent  student,  he 
came  to  the  Leipsic  disputation,  and  there 
received  the  gospel  of  Christ  with  the  sim- 
plicity of  a  child.  As  D'Aubigne  expresses 
it,  '  from  that  hour  he  bowed  the  heights  of 
his  learning  before  the  word  of  God.'  When 
he  began  to  explain  the  way  of  salvation, 
his  clearness  delighted  all  who  listened." 

"  Luther  has  been  compared  to  Paul,"  said 
Mrs.  Arnold ;  "  Melanchthon  is  like  John." 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Arnold;  "Luther  once 
said,  '  I  was  born  for  struggling  on  the  bat- 
tlefield with  parties  and  devils.  My  writ- 
ings breathe  war  and  tempest.  I  must  root 
up  stock  and  stem,  clear  away  thorns  and 
brambles  and  fill  up  swamps.  I  am  like 
the  sturdy  woodcutter  who  must  clear  and 
level  the  road.  But  Philip  goes  forward 
quietly  and  gently,  cultivating  and  plant- 
ing, sowing  and  watering  joyfully,  accord- 
ing as  God  has  dealt  to  him  so  liberally  of 
his  gifts.' " 


CHAPTER   VII. 

LUTHER  GOES  TO  AUGSBURG. 

"  ~U"OU   haven't  told  us   yet  whether  Lu- 
J-    ther  went  to  Rome,"  said  Maggie. 
"He  did  go,"  said  Stephen. 
Mr.  Arnold  took  up  the  history  and  read : 
" '  In  the   midst  of  his  delightful  Bible 
studies   with    Melanchthon,   Luther    some- 
times forgot  his  summons  to  appear  before 
the  pope  at  Rome.     But  soon  the  thought 
returned.     Luther  did  not  tremble  in  the 
prospect  of  it :  full  of  trust  in  the  faithful- 
ness and  power  of  God,  he  remained  firm, 
and   was   ready  to   expose   himself    to   the 
wrath  of  enemies  more  terrible  than  those 
who  had  brought  Huss  to  the  stake.' ' 

" '  Huss    to    the    stake '  ?     What    means 
that?"  questioned  Paul. 

"John  Huss  was  burned  to  death,  Paul, 

because  he  preached  against  the  wickedness 

of  the   Romish  Church  and   its  ministers. 

Pope  John    XXIII.  solemnly  excommuni- 

110 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  Ill 

cated  him ;  afterward  he  was  put  into  prison, 
and  at  last  he  was  burned  at  the  stake. 
That  was  in  the  year  1415.  Luther's  friends 
begged  him  not  to  go  to  Rome;  they  feared 
he  might  lose  his  life  on  the  journey.  Stau- 
pitz,  the  vicar-general,  wrote  to  Luther  from 
his  convent  imploring  him  to  take  refuge 
with  him  in  the  convent." 

"  Did  he  go  ?"  eagerly  asked  Maggie. 

"  No,"  answered  Mr.  Arnold. 

"If  he  had  gone,"  said  Josie,  thought- 
fully, "  we  would  not  have  had  any  Refor- 
mation, I  don't  believe." 

"  What  did  Luther  say  about  it,  father  ?" 
asked  Charlie. 

"At  one  time  he  said,  'I  am  willing  to 
be  delivered  up  and  cast  alone  into  the  hands 
of  all  my  adversaries.  What  I  have  under- 
taken to  defend  I  hope  I  shall,  by  Christ's 
help,  be  enabled  to  maintain.  As  to  force, 
we  must .  needs  yield  to  that,  but  without 
forsaking  the  truth.  The  words  of  his 
divine  Master  kept  sounding  in  his  heart : 
'Whosoever  shall  confess  me  before  men, 
him  will  I  confess  before  my  Father  which 
is  in  heaven.'  Luther  would  not  draw 


112  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

back ;  he  would  not  flee.  '  I  ain  like  Jere- 
miah/ he  said — '  a  man  of  strife  and  conten- 
tion ;  but  the  more  they  increase  their  threat- 
enings,  the  more  they  multiply  my  joy.  My 
wife  and  children  are  well  provided  for ;  my 
lands  and  houses  and  all  my  goods  are  safe.' 
He  had  no  wife,  nor  lands  and  houses  and 
goods,"  explained  Mr.  Arnold,  looking  up. 

"  Then  he  was  joking,"  said  Charlie. 

" '  They  have  already  torn  to  pieces  my 
honor  and  my  good  name,' "  read  Mr.  Ar- 
nold ;  "  'all  I  have  left  is  my  wretched  body. 
Let  them  have  it;  they  will  then  shorten 
my  life  by  a  few  hours.  But,  as  to  my  soul, 
they  shall  not  have  that.' ' 

"  That  was  safe  enough,  I  am  sure,"  said 
Josie,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  What  a  brave,  noble  man  he  was !"  said 
Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Poor  and  unprotected,  Luther  set  forth 
on  foot  to  place  himself  in  the  power  of  his 
enemies.  From  different  persons  he  had 
received  warnings  of  danger.  Count  Albert 
of  Mansfield  sent  him  a  message  not  to  go, 
because  some  great  nobles  had  bound  them- 
selves by  an  oath  to  seize  and  strangle  or 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  113 

drown  him.  The  elector  Frederick  persuaded 
the  pope  to  give  Luther  a  hearing  at  Augs- 
burg, and  pledged  himself  that  Luther  should 
appear ;  so  he  was  not  obliged  to  go  to  Rome. 
Luther  asked  Frederick  to  give  him  a  safe- 
conduct,  but  Frederick  replied  that  it  was 
not  needed ;  and  he  only  gave  him  letters  of 
recommendation  to  several  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished counselors  of  Augsburg.  He  also 
sent  Luther  money  for  his  journey.  On  his 
way  he  stopped  at  Weimar  and  lodged  in 
the  convent  of  the  Cordeliers.  One  of  the 
monks,  named  Myeonius,  could  not  take  his 
eyes  off  of  Luther.  It  was  the  first  time  he 
had  seen  Luther,  and  he  wished  to  whisper 
that  he  owed  to  him  the  peace  of  his  soul." 

"  When  Luther  first  preached  and  wrote 
against  indulgences,  Myeonius  opposed  him," 
said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Yes,  but  he  soon  changed  his  views," 
said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"Why  didn't  he  speak  to  Luther,  if  he 
wanted  to?"  asked  Charlie. 

"  His  superiors  would  not  let  him,  Char- 
lie. If  the  elector  Frederick  had  not  been 
holding  his  court  in  Weimar,  perhaps  the 


114  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Cordeliers  would  not  even  have  received 
Luther  within  their  convent.  The  day  after 
his  arrival  was  the  festival  of  St.  Michael ; 
Luther  said  mass,  and  was  even  invited  to 
preach  in  the  castle  chapel.  This  was  a 
great  mark  of  favor  from  Frederick." 

"Did  he  preach  against  indulgences?" 
inquired  Stephen. 

"  D'Aubigne  says,  '  He  preached  from  an 
overflowing  heart,  in  the  presence  of  the 
court,  on  the  text  of  the  day,  which  was 
Matt,  xviii.  1-11.  He  spoke  strongly  against 
hypocrites  and  such  as  boast  of  their  own 
righteousness.  But  he  said  not  a  word  of 
the  angels,  though  it  was  the  invariable  cus- 
tom to  do  so  on  St.  Michael's  day.' ' 

Josie  took  the  Bible  and  read  the  words 
of  the  text. 

"  Luther's  quietness  and  courage  surprised 
many.  One  of  the  monks  said  to  him,  '  My 
brother,  you  will  have  to  meet  Italians  at 
Augsburg.  They  are  a  shrewd  people,  and 
will  give  you  enough  to  do.  I  fear  you  will 
not  be  able  to  defend  your  cause  against 
them.  They  will  cast  you  into  "the  fire,  and 
the  flames  will  consume  you.' ' 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  115 

"Did  they  put  him  in  the  fire,  uncle?" 
asked  Paul. 

"No,  Paul." 

"  What  did  Luther  say  ?"  asked  Charlie. 
.  "  He  said,  '  My  friend,  pray  to  our  Lord 
God,  who  is  in  heaven,  and  put  up  a  pater 
noster  for  me,  and  for  his  dear  child  Jesus, 
whose  cause  is  mine,  that  he  may  be  favor- 
able to  him.  If  he  maintains  his  cause, 
mine  is  safe ;  but  if  he  will  not  maintain  it, 
certainly  it  is  not  in  me  to  maintain  it,  and 
it  is  he  who  will  bear  the  dishonor.'  Lu- 
ther continued  his  journey  on  foot,"  read 
Mr.  Arnold,  "and  arrived  at  Nuremberg. 
Being  about  to  present  himself  before  a 
prince  of  the  Church,  he  wished  to  make 
a  suitable  appearance.  The  dress  he  wore 
was  old  and  much  the  worse  for  his  jour- 
ney ;  he  therefore  borrowed  a  monk's  frock 
of  his  faithful  friend,  Wenceslas  Link,  the 
preacher  at  Nuremberg." 

"A  man  in  a  frock !"  cried  Paul. 

"  Monks  wore  a  kind  of  frock,"  explained 
Josie. 

"  Link   and  an  Augustine  monk  named 
Leonard  could  not  bear  to   let  Luther  go 


116  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

alone  to  meet  the  dangers  that  threatened 
him ;  they  went  with  him." 

"  I  was  wondering,"  said  Maggie,  "  why 
somebody  didn't  go  with  him." 

"Before  he  reached  Augsburg,  Luther 
was  seized  with  violent  pains  in  the  stom- 
ach ;  he  thought  he  was  going  to  die.  His 
two  friends  engaged  a  wagon  and  brought 
him  to  Augsburg.  He  rapidly  recovered. 
As  soon  as  he  reached  the  city  Luther  sent 
Link  to  the  pope's  legate  to  announce  his 
arrival,  and  to  say  that  Luther  was  ready 
to  appear  before  the  legate  whenever  he 
was  summoned." 

"What  was  the  legate's  name?"  asked 
Josie. 

"Cardinal  Thomas  de  Vio.  He  was  a 
zealous  papist,  a  learned,  severe  man,  with  a 
great  reputation  for  holiness.  His  duty  in 
this  case  was  very  plain  to  him.  Luther 
had  been  declared  a  heretic.  If  he  would 
not  retract,  the  legate's  duty  must  be  to 
send  him  to  prison ;  and  if  he  escaped,  to 
visit  with  excommunication  such  as  should 
dare  to  receive  him." 

"What  means  'retract'?"  asked  Paul. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  117 

"  Take  back  all  he'd  said,"  explained  Ste- 
phen. 

"What!  all  about  the  indulgences  and 
everything  ?"  exclaimed  Charlie.  "  I  guess 
Luther  wouldn't  do  that." 

"  The  Romanists  expected  that  he  would," 
said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"He  didn't,  did  he,  father?"  asked  Mag- 
gie. 

"  We  will  see,  Maggie. — An  Italian  named 
Urban  de  Serra  Longa,  generally  called  Ser- 
ra  Longa,  was  sent  to  advise  and  urge  him 
to  do  this.  '  Make  your  peace  with  the 
Church,'  he  said ;  '  retract  your  calumnies ; 
submit  unreservedly  to  this  cardinal.'  He 
began  in  a  coaxing,  affectionate  tone,  but 
soon  became  abusive ;  and  then,  checking 
himself,  he  again  tried  gentle  tones.  He 
intimated  that  money  in  the  pope's  strong- 
box was  worth  more  than  truth." 

"  Would  they  say  that  now  ?"  asked  Jo- 
sie,  looking  very  much  shocked. 

"  Let  Stephen  try  to  find  out  for  us,"  said 
Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Luther  did  not  say  very  much  to  this 
crafty  man,  for  he  suspected  him  as  acting 


118  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

only  in  the  interests  of  the  legate.  As  they 
parted,  Luther  said  he  was  willing  to  give 
satisfaction  in  any  point  in  which  he 
might  be  shown  to  be  in  error.  He  could 
not  give  up  the  truth,  but  if  he  could  be 
shown  to  be  wrong,  then  he  would  retract 
the  wrong. 

"These  words  made  Serra  Longa  depart 
in  great  joy,  saying,  '  I  will  go  directly  to 
the  legate,  and  you  will  follow  me  present- 
ly. Everything  will  go  well,  and  it  will 
soon  be  settled.' ' 

"It  took  a  great  while  to  settle  it,"  re- 
marked Stephen. 

"  The  diet  had  been  meeting  at  Augsburg ; 
it  was  over  now.  Had  Luther  arrived  dur- 
ing its  sitting,  he  would  have  found  power- 
ful friends;  but  now  everything  seemed  to 
favor  the  pope." 

"  I  don't  believe  Maggie  knows  what  a 
diet  is,"  said  Stephen. 

"  I  don't,"  frankly  answered  Maggie. 

"  It  was  a  large  company  met  together — 
something  like  our  General  Assembly,  I 
suppose. — Wasn't  it,  father?" 

"  Yes,  something." 


MR.  ARNOLDS  STORIES.  119 

"And  they  talked  over  and  decided  things, 
didn't  they?" 

"  Yes." 

"  I  thought  Stephen  was  going  to  find  out 
about  what  the  Romanists  do  now?"  said 
Maggie. 

"  So  I  am,  Maggie,"  answered  Stephen. 

"Let's  get  done  with  Luther  first,"  said 
Charlie. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

LUTHER  BEFORE  THE  LEGATE. 

"  TTOU  remember  Frederick  declined  giv- 
J-  ing  Luther  a  safe-conduct  to  Augs- 
burg, but  after  he  arrived  there  some  of  his 
friends  insisted  upon  his  having  one  before 
he  went  into  the  presence  of  Cardinal  de 
Vio ;  so,  when  Serra  Longa  came  to  sum- 
mon him,  Luther  asked  for  a  safe-conduct. 
Serra  told  him  it  was  not  needed  and  it 
would  only  spoil  all,  for  the  cardinal  was 
graciously  disposed  toward  him.  He  told 
Luther  how  he  must  behave  in  the  cardinal's 
presence.  '  When  you  enter  the  room  where 
he  is  sitting/  he  said,  'you  must  prostrate 
yourself  with  your  face  to  the  ground  ;  when 
he  tells  you  to  rise,  you  must  kneel  before 
him ;  and  you  must  not  stand  erect  till  he 
orders  you  to  do  so.  Remember  that  it  is 
before  a  prince  of  the  Church  that  you  are 
about  to  appear.  As  to  the  rest,  fear  noth- 
120 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  121 

ing ;  all  will  soon  be  settled  without  any 
difficulty/  " 

The  Arnold  children  looked  indignant 
when  their  father  read  this  piece  of  advice, 
but  they  said  nothing. 

"  Luther  insisted  upon  having  a  safe-con- 
duct, and  Serra  Longa  went  away  much 
vexed.  The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath. 
Luther  was  invited  to  preach  in  the  city, 
and  no  doubt  his  fame  would  have  attract- 
ed a  great  congregation  to  hear  him.  He 
would  have  rejoiced  to  preach  Christ  in  that 
great  city ;  but  he  declined,  for  fear  the  car- 
dinal might  think  he  did  it  just  to  vex  and 
brave  him. 

"  Monday  morning  Serra  Longa  came 
again.  The  moment  he  entered  he  said  in 
Latin, 

" '  Why  do  you  not  go  to  the  cardinal  ? 
He  is  expecting  you  in  the  most  indulgent 
frame  of  mind.  With  him  the  whole  ques- 
tion is  summed  up  in  six  letters,  revoco — 
I  retract.  Come,  then,  with  me ;  you  have 
nothing  to  fear.' 

"  Luther  thought  they  were  very  import- 
ant letters,  but  he  only  replied, 


122  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  'As  soon  as  I  have  received  the  safe- 
conduct  I  will  appear.' 

"  Serra  Longa  lost  his  temper  and  uttered 
many  hasty  words.  At  last  he  asked  Lu- 
ther if  he  imagined  the  elector  was  going  to 
fight  for  his  sake  and  lose  the  dominions  in- 
herited from  his  ancestors. 

" '  God  forbid !'  exclaimed  Luther. 

" '  When  all  forsake  you,  where  will  you 
take  refuge?'  asked  Serra  Longa. 

"Luther,  smiling  and  looking  upward 
with  the  eye  of  faith,  replied, 

"'Under  Heaven." 

"  For  an  instant  Serra  Longa  was  struck 
dumb  by  this  sublime  and  unexpected  re- 
ply ;  he  then  continued : 

" '  How  would  you  act  if  you  had  Cardi- 
nal de  Vio,  the  pope  and  all  the  cardinals  in 
your  power,  as  they  have  you,  at  this  mo- 
ment, in  theirs?' 

" '  I  would  pay  them  all  respect  and  hon- 
or,' replied  Luther, '  but  the  word  of  God  is, 
with  me,  above  all.' 

"  Serra  Longa  laughed,  moving  one  of  his 
fingers  backward  and  forward  in  a  manner 
peculiar  to  the  Italians: 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  123 

" '  Ha !  ha !  All  proper  honor !  I  do  not 
believe  a  word  of  it." 

"  But  he  would,"  exclaimed  Paul. — 
"Wouldn't  he,  auntie?" 

."Yes,  I  think  he  would,  Paul." 

Mr.  Arnold  resumed : 

"  Serra  Longa  left  the  house,  leaped  into 
his  saddle  and  disappeared.  He  did  not  go 
again  to  Luther,  but  he  never  forgave  the 
great  Reformer.  Soon  after  this,  Luther's 
friends  procured  a  safe-conduct  for  him." 

"Why  did  he  not  trust  in  God  to  take 
care  of  him?"  timidly  asked  Josie. 

"  He  did  trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  his 
heart,  Josie.  If  God  required  his  life,  he 
said,  he  was  willing  to  lay  it  down.  But  he 
yielded  to  his  friends'  persuasion,  and  did 
what  they  felt  was  his  duty.  And  it  was 
right  to  do  all  he  could  to  preserve  his  own 
life.  He  wrote  to  his  dear  friend  Melanch- 
thon  :  '  Show  yourself  a  man.  Instruct  the 
youth  of  our  beloved  country  in  what  is 
right  and  agreeable  to  the  will  of  God.  As 
for  me,  I  am  going  to  offer  up  myself  for 
you  and  for  them,  if  it  be  the  Lord's  Avill. 
I  prefer  death — yea,  even,  what  to  me  would 


124  MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

be  the  greatest  misfortune,  the  loss  of  your 
valued  society — to  retracting  what  it  was  my 
duty  to  teach,  and  perhaps  ruining  by  my 
failure  the  noble  cause  to  which  we  are  de- 
voted. Italy  is  involved,  as  Egypt  was  for- 
merly, in  thick  darkness — even  darkness 
which  may  be  felt.  The  whole  nation 
knows  nothing  of  Christ,  nor  of  what  per- 
tains to  him.  And  yet  they  are  our  lords 
and  masters  in  the  faith  and  in  morals. 
Thus  the  wrath  of  God  is  fulfilled  amongst 
us ;  as  the  prophet  says,  '  I  will  give  chil- 
dren to  be  their  princes,  and  babes  shall  rule 
over  them.'  Do  your  duty  to  God,  my  dear 
Philip,  and  avert  his  wrath  by  fervent  and 
holy  prayer.' 

"The  legate  called  together  Italians  and 
Germans  to  get  their  advice  about  the  best 
way  to  treat  the  heretic  Luther.  Some  said, 
'  We  must  compel  him  to  retract ;'  others 
said,  'We  must  arrest  him  and  throw  him 
into  prison.'  One  said  it  would  be  well  to 
put  him  out  of  the  way ;  another  counseled 
mildness  and  gentleness.  The  cardinal — 
or  legate,  as  we  have  sometimes  called  him 
— resolved  first  to  try  mildness.  He  did 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  125 

not  doubt  his  ability  to  reclaim  the  monk 
to  obedience  to  the  Church. 

"  When  the  day  of  conference  arrived, 
Luther  went  to  the  cardinal's  house,  accom- 
panied by  the  prior  of  the  Carmelites,  his 
friend  and  host,  by  two  friars  of  the  con- 
vent, by  Dr.  Link  and  by  an  Augustine — 
probably  the  same  one  who  journeyed  with 
him  from  Nuremberg.  Scarcely  had  he 
entered  the  cardinal's  palace,  when  all  the 
Italians  who  composed  the  train  of  this 
prince  of  the  Church  flocked  round  him  to 
see  the  famous  doctor,  and  pressed  him  so 
closely  that  he  could  hardly  proceed. 

"  On  entering  the  room  where  the  cardi- 
nal was  waiting  for  him,  Luther  found  him 
accompanied  by  the  apostolic  nuncio  and 
Serra  Longa.  His  reception  was  cool,  but 
civil ;  and,  according  to  Roman  etiquette, 
Luther,  following  the  instructions  of  Serra 
Longa,  prostrated  himself  before  the  cardi- 
nal. When  the  latter  told  him  to  rise,  he 
knelt ;  and  when  the  command  was  repeated, 
he  stood  erect.  Several  of  the  most  distin- 
guished Italians  of  the  cardinal's  household 
entered  the  room,  in  order  to  be  present  at 


126  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

the  interview,  impatient  to  see  the  German 
monk  humble  himself  before  the  pope's 
representative. 

"The  cardinal  was  silent;  he  expected 
Luther  would  begin  his  recantation.  But 
Luther  waited  reverently  for  the  Roman 
prince  to  address  him.  Finding,  however, 
that  he  did  not  open  his  lips,  he  understood 
this  silence  to  be  an  invitation  to  begin,  and 
he  thus  addressed  him  : 

"  '  Most  worthy  father,  upon  the  summons 
of  His  Holiness  the  pope,  and  at  the  desire 
of  my  gracious  lord  the  elector  of  Saxony,  I 
appear  before  you  as  a  humble  and  obedient 
son  of  the  holy  Christian  Church,  and  I 
acknowledge  that  it  was  I  who  published  the 
propositions  and  theses  that  are  the  subject 
of  inquiry.  I  am  ready  to  listen  with  all 
submission  to  the  charges  brought  against 
me,  and,  if  I  am  in  error,  to  be  instructed  in 
the  truth.' " 

Mr.  Arnold  looked  up  from  his  book ;  he 
expected  this  meek  conduct  on  the  part  of 
Luther  would  call  forth  comments  from  the 
children,  but  they  were  intently  listening, 
and  only  Charlie  spoke : 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  127 

"  Go  on,  please,  father." 

"  The  cardinal  assumed  the  tone  of  a  kind 
and  compassionate  father  toward  an  erring 
child.  He  commended  Luther's  humility 
and  expressed  the  joy  he  felt  on  beholding  it. 

"  '  My  dear  son,'  he  said,  '  you  have  filled 
all  Germany  with  commotion  by  your  dis- 
pute concerning  indulgences.  I  hear  that 
you  are  a  doctor  well  skilled  in  the  Script- 
ures, and  that  you  have  many  followers ;  if, 
therefore,  you  wish  to  be  a  member  of  the 
Church  and  to  have  in  the  pope  a  most  gra- 
cious lord,  listen  to  me.' 

"  The  cardinal  was  so  confident  of  Luther's 
submission  that  he  immediately  set  before 
him  three  articles,  presenting  them,  as  he 
said,  under  the  direction  of  '  our  most  holy 
Father,  Pope  Leo  the  Tenth.' 

" '  First,  you  must  return  to  your  duty ; 
you  must  acknowledge  your  faults  and  re- 
tract your  errors,  your  propositions  and  ser- 
mons. Secondly,  you  must  abstain  for  the 
future  from  propagating  your  opinions.  And 
thirdly,  you  must  engage  to  be  more  discreet 
and  avoid  everything  that  may  grieve  or 
disturb  the  Church.'  " 


128  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  It  makes  me  think  of  the  apostles,"  re- 
marked Mrs.  Arnold,  "  when  they  were 
charged  to  speak  and  preach  no  more  in  the 
name  of  Jesus." 

"  Peter  and  John,  wasn't  it,  mother  ?" 

"  Yes ;  they  were  brought  out  of  prison 
and  examined  before  the  high  priest  and 
others.  They  were  commanded  to  keep  si- 
lence, but  as  they  departed  from  the  council 
their  prayer  was,  'And  now,  Lord,  behold 
their  threatenings  ;  and  ' — notice,  children, 
they  don't  say,  'grant  us  thy  protection,' 
but — *  grant  unto  thy  servants  that  with  all 
boldness  they  may  speak  thy  word.' ' 

"  I  am  sure  Luther  did  not  mean  to  keep 
silence,"  said  Charlie. 

"No,  no!"  exclaimed  Stephen. — "What 
did  he  say,  father  ?" 

"  He  asked  to  see  the  pope's  brief,  or  let- 
ter which  gave  the  legate  power  to  treat 
with  him.  Such  a  demand  from  a  monk  to 
a  cardinal-legate !  The  Italians  were  struck 
dumb.  The  cardinal  replied, 

" '  Your  demand,  my  son,  cannot  be  com- 
plied with.  You  have  to  acknowledge  your 
errors,  to  be  careful  for  the  future  what  you 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  129 

teach,  not  to  return  to  your  vomit,  so  that 
you  may  rest  without  care  and  anxiety ;  and 
then,  acting  by  the  command  and  on  the 
authority  of  our  most  holy  father  the  pope, 
I  will  adjust  the  whole  affair.' 

" '  Deign,  then,  to  inform  me  wherein  I 
have  erred,'  said  Luther. 

"At  this  request  the  Italian  courtiers,  who 
had  expected  to  see  the  poor  German  monk 
fall  upon  his  knees  and  implore  mercy, 
were  still  more  astonished  than  before.  Not 
one  of  them  would  have  condescended  to 
answer  so  impertinent  a  question,  but  the 
cardinal,  who  thought  it  scarcely  generous 
to  crush  this  feeble  monk  by  the  weight 
of  all  his  authority,  and  who  trusted  to  his 
own  learning  for  obtaining  an  easy  victory, 
consented  to  tell  Luther  of  what  he  was 
accused,  and  even  to  enter  into  discussion 
with  him. 

"  *  My  beloved  son,'  he  said,  '  there  are 
two  propositions  put  forward  by  you  which 
you  must,  before  all,  retract — first,  "The 
treasure  of  indulgences  does  not  consist  of 
the  merits  and  sufferings  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ;"  and  second,  "The  man  who  re- 

9 


130  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

ceives  the  holy  sacrament  must  have  faith 
in  the  grace  offered  to  him." 

"  Both  these  propositions  did  indeed  strike 
a  deathblow  at  the  commerce  of  Rome.  If 
the  pope  had  not  power  to  dispose  at  will  of 
the  Saviour's  merits,  if  the  paper  of  indul- 
gence did  not  give  the  buyer  righteousness, 
then  its  value  was  lost  and  men  would  count 
it  no  better  than  a  mere  rag.  Likewise  with 
the  sacraments ;  they  yielded  a  large  reve- 


nue." 


"  Why,  did  they  have  to  pay  for  the  sac- 
raments?" exclaimed  Stephen. 

"  Certainly." 

"  What  means  '  sacraments '  ?"  questioned 
Paul. 

"  We  call  the  ordinances  of  baptism  and 
the  Lord's  Supper  sacraments,"  said  Mr. 
Arnold. 

"  The  Romanists  have  seven  sacraments," 
said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  What  are  they  ?"  inquired  Josie. 

Stephen,  who,  as  usual,  was  looking  into 
the  dictionary,  read : 

"'Among  Catholics  there  are  seven  sac- 
raments— baptism,  confirmation,  eucharist, 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  131 

penance,  orders,  matrimony  and  extreme 
unction.' ' 

Josie  was  going  to  ask  the  meaning  of 
some  of  these  words,  but  Charlie  asked  if 
they  could  not  go  on  with  Luther ;  so  Mr. 
Arnold  continued  : 

"As  the  discussion  went  on  between  Lu- 
ther and  the  cardinal,  the  cardinal  set  the 
pope's  word  above  the  Scriptures.  Luther 
warmly  resisted  him.  When  he  said,  '  The 
pope  has  authority  and  power  over  all 
things,'  Luther  answered, 

"  '  Save  the  Scriptures.' 

"  '  "  Save  the  Scriptures  " !  Do  you  not 
know  that  the  pope  is  higher  than  the 
councils?  for  he  has  recently  condemned 
and  punished  the  Council  of  Bale.' 

" '  But  the  University  of  Paris  has  ap- 
pealed against  his  decision,'  said  Luther. 

" '  Those  gentlemen  of  Paris  will  receive 
their  desert,'  answered  the  cardin  il. 

"  They  then  discussed  the  faith  that  Lu- 
ther declared  to  be  necessary  to  make  the  sac- 
raments of  use.  Luther  quoted  the  Bible, 
and  the  cardinal  derided  it.  One  of  the 
Italians  was  so  indignant  at  Luther  that  he 


132  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

often  interrupted  the  conversation.  The 
cardinal  commanded  him  to  be  silent,  and 
finally  was  obliged  to  reprove  him  in  so 
authoritative  tone  that  the  man  left  the 
room  in  confusion.  And  he  was  the  cardi- 
nal's master  of  ceremonies. 

"  'As  to  indulgences,'  said  Luther,  '  if 
you  can  prove  to  me  that  I  am  mistaken,  I 
am  ready  to  receive  instruction ;  we  may 
leave  that  subject  open  without  compromis- 
ing our  faith  as  Christians.  But,  as  to  that 
other  article,  concerning  faith,  if  I  yielded 
anything  there,  I  should  be  denying  Christ. 
I  cannot,  therefore,  and  I  will  not,  yield 
that  point,  and  by  God's  help  I  will  hold 
it  to  the  end.' 

"The  cardinal  now  became  very  angry, 
and  said, 

" '  Whether  you  will  or  will  not,  you  must 
this  very  day  retract  that  article,  or  else  for 
that  article  alone  I  will  proceed  to  reject 
and  condemn  all  your  doctrine.' 

"  *  I  have  no  will  but  the  Lord's,'  replied 
Luther ;  '  he  will  do  with  me  what  seemeth 
good  in  his  sight.  But,  had  I  a  hundred 
heads,  I  would  rather  lose  them  all  than  re- 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  133 

tract  the  testimony  I  have  borne  to  the  holy 
Christian  faith.' 

" '  I  am  not  come  here  to  argue  with  you,' 
said  the  cardinal.  '  Retract  or  prepare  to 
endure  the  punishment  you  have  deserved.' 

"  Seeing  that  nothing  could  be  gained  by 
conference,  Luther  showed  a  desire  to  leave. 

"  '  Do  you  wish  that  I  should  give  you  a 
safe-conduct  to  repair  to  Rome?'  asked  the 
cardinal. 

"But  Luther  knew  enough  to  refuse  an 
offer  that  would  have  delivered  him  help- 
lessly into  the  hands  of  his  enemies.  Sev- 
eral times  the  offer  was  repeated,  but  as  often 
was  it  declined. 

"  The  cardinal  would  gladly  now  have 
cast  out  of  his  hands  a  matter  which  he 
saw  was  too  much  for  him.  But  he  con- 
cealed the  chagrin  he  felt  at  Luther's  refu- 
sal, and,  assuming  an  air  of  dignity,  he 
dismissed  the  monk  with  a  compassionate 
smile. 

"  Hardly  had  Luther  reached  the  court- 
yard of  the  palace  when  he  was  met  by  the 
dismissed  master  of  ceremonies,  who  made 
haste  to  overpower  him  by  arguments.  But 


134  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Luther,  disgusted  with  the  man's  folly,  an- 
swered him  with  such  a  withering  rebuke 
that  he  slunk  back  abashed  to  the  palace. 

"  The  cardinal  and  all  his  courtiers  were 
greatly  surprised  at  the  noble  firmness  of 
Luther.  Instead  of  a  poor  monk  suing 
abjectly  for  pardon,  they  beheld  an  undaunt- 
ed Christian,  an  enlightened  doctor,  who  de- 
manded of  them  proofs  to  support  their  un- 
just accusations  and  courageously  defended 
his  own  doctrine.  With  united  voice  they 
exclaimed  against  the  pride,  obstinacy  and 
effrontery  of  the  heretic. 

"When  Luther  returned  to  the  convent 
of  the  Carmelites,  where  he  was  staying,  a 
joyful  surprise  awaited  him.  The  vicar- 
general  of  the  Augustines,  Staupitz,  was 
there.  He  had  not  been  able  to  prevent 
Luther  from  going  to  Augsburg ;  so  he  re- 
solved to  join  him  there,  in  hope  of  render- 
ing him  some  service. 

"Staupitz  saw  that  great  results  would 
flow  from  this  conference.  His  fears  and 
his  friendship  for  Luther  combined  to  dis- 
turb him.  It  was  a  great  comfort  for  Lu- 
ther, after  that  trying  interview  with  the 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  135 

cardinal,  to  be  permitted  to  meet  so  dear  a 
friend." 

"  I  have  forgotten  who  Staupitz  was,"  said 
Maggie. 

"Why,  he  was  the  man  who  gave  Lu- 
ther the  Bible,"  said  Paul. 

"The  vicar-general  of  the  Augustines," 
added  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"After  hearing  about  the  first  interview, 
Staupitz  expected  no  good  from  any  that 
might  follow.  He  therefore  decided  to  re- 
lease Luther  from  the  obligation  of  obe- 
dience to  his  order — the  order  of  the  Augus- 
tines, to  which,  you  know,  Luther  belonged. 
If  Luther  should  fail  in  his  undertaking,  no 
disgrace  would  then  fall  upon  the  Augus- 
tines ;  and  if  the  cardinal  should  oblige  him 
to  silence  Luther  or  to  insist  upon  his  recan- 
tation, then  he — Staupitz — would  have  an 
excuse  for  not  complying. 

"The  ceremony  of  releasing  Luther  was 
gone  through  with  in  the  usual  form.  Lu- 
ther understood  all  it  meant ;  the  order  he 
chose  in  the  enthusiasm  of  his  youth  now 
rejected  him.  His  natural  protectors  for- 
sook him,  and  he  became  a  stranger  to  his 


136  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

brethren.  But,  looking  to  his  faithful  God, 
who  has  said,  'I  will  never  leave  thee  nor 
forsake  thee,'  he  was  comforted." 

"  I  thought  Staupitz  was  his  friend  ?"  said 
Josie. 

"  He  was,  but  at  the  same  time  he  could 
not  help  fearing  he  would  fall  before  his 
powerful  enemies.  He  kept  close  to  Luther 
the  next  day  as  he  returned  to  the  cardinal's 
palace,  and  earnestly  directed  the  Reformer's 
heart  to  the  Lord,  who  alone  could  sustain. 

" '  Ever  bear  in  mind,  my  dear  brother,' 
he  said,  '  that  you  entered  on  these  struggles 
in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.' 

"  Luther  this  time  answered  the  cardinal 
in  writing.  He  expressed  his  respect  for  the 
Romish  Church  and  again  declared  himself 
willing  to  be  instructed  and  corrected  if  he 
had  erred,  but,  at  the  same  time,  he  solemnly 
protested  against  the  way  in  which  he  had 
been  treated,  especially  against  being  com- 
manded to  retract  before  he  had  been  con- 
victed of  error. 

"  The  cardinal  was  quite  confused  and  em- 
barrassed by  this  protest.  He  tried  to  laugh, 
and,  putting  on  a  mild  tone,  said, 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  137 

"  '  This  protest  is  quite  unnecessary.  I 
will  not  dispute  with  you  in  public  or  in 
private,  but  my  wish  is  to  settle  the  whole 
affair  with  paternal  tenderness.' ' 

"  Luther  didn't  retract,  did  he,  father  ?" 
asked  Maggie. 

"  No,  no ! — The  cardinal  said, 

" '  Retract,  retract !  Such  is  the  pope's 
will.' 

"  But  Luther  said, 

"  '  I  cannot  retract,  but  I  offer  to  answer, 
and  in  writing.  We  had  enough  of  conten- 
tion yesterday.' 

"  The  cardinal  tried  to  hide  his  rage  by 
another  smile,  and  answered  mildly : 

"  ' "  Contention  "  !  My  dear  son,  I  did 
not  contend  with  you.  I  am  as  little  in- 
clined as  yourself  to  contention,  but,  to 
gratify  His  Highness  the  elector  Frederick, 
I  am  ready  to  hear  you  and  exhort  you  as  a 
friend  and  a  father.' 

"  Before  the  interview  ended  the  cardinal 
sneered,  chided  and  raved.  At  last  Staupitz 
tried  to  stop  him  by  saying, 

"  '  Deign  to  allow  Dr.  Martin  time  to  an- 
swer.' 


138  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  But  he  was  resolved  to  have  all  the  talk 
to  himself,  and  nobody  could  stop  him. 

"At  last  the  cardinal  was  prevailed  upon 
to  allow  Luther  to  answer  in  -writing,  and 
the  Reformer  left  the  palace  rejoicing  that 
his  just  request  had  been  granted.  But  it 
daily  became  plainer  to  all  that  the  cardinal 
would  listen  to  nothing  from  Luther  except 
the  words,  '  I  retract ;'  and  those  words  Lu- 
ther was  determined  not  to  utter.  What 
issue  could  be  looked  for  in  so  unequal  a 
struggle?  How  could  it  be  thought  for  a 
moment  that  the  whole  power  of  Rome, 
arrayed  against  one  man,  could  fail  in  the 
end  to  crush  him  ? 

"  Luther  saw  all  this  ;  he  felt  the  pressure 
of  that  heavy  hand  under  which  he  had 
dared  to  place  himself.  He  despaired  of 
ever  returning  to  Wittemberg,  of  seeing  his 
dear  Philip  again  and  once  more  finding 
himself  surrounded  by  those  noble  youths  in 
whose  hearts  he  so  delighted  to  sow  the  seeds 
of  everlasting  life.  He  sa,w  the  sentence  of 
excommunication  suspended  over  his  head, 
and  he  did  not  doubt  that  it  would  shortly 
fall  upon  him.  He  was  distressed,  but  not 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  139 

cast  down ;  his  trust  in  God  was  not  shaken. 
Whatever  might  happen,  Luther  resolved  to 
defend  the  truth  to  the  last. 

"With  these  feelings,  Luther  began  to 
prepare  the  protest  he  intended  to  present  to 
the  cardinal.  When  he  returned  with  it  to 
the  palace,  the  Italians  crowded  around  him 
and  gazed  intently  on  his  writing,  which  to 
them  seemed  so  daring  and  presumptuous. 
The  cardinal  looked  it  over,  and  said,  coolly, 

"  *  You  have  wasted  many  words  and  writ- 
ten what  is  little  to  the  purpose ;  you  have 
replied  very  foolishly  to  the  two  charges 
brought  against  you,  and  you  have  covered 
your  paper  with  numerous  passages  from  the 
holy  Scriptures  that  have  no  reference  what- 
ever to  the  subject.'  Then,  with  a  contempt- 
uous gesture,  he  threw  down  the  protest  and 
renewed  his  old  cry,  '  Retract !' 

"  Luther  was  firm. 

"  '  Brother,  brother  !'  cried  the  cardinal ; 
'  when  you  were  last  here  you  were  very  do- 
cile, but  to-day  you  are  altogether  intract- 
able.' 

"  Then  the  cardinal  delivered  a  long 
speech  and  thought  he  had  silenced  Luther. 


140  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Several  times  Luther  tried  to  speak,  but 
was  not  permitted.  At  length  his  indigna- 
tion burst  forth  in  earnest,  telling  words,  to 
the  great  astonishment  of  the  bystanders. 
Finally,  in  reply  to  the  oft-repeated,  '  Re- 
tract!' he  said, 

"  *  Only  prove  to  me  that  the  treasure  of 
indulgence  is  the  very  merit  of  Christ,  and  I 
consent  to  retract,  according  to  the  will  and 
pleasure  of  Your  Eminence.' 

"  The  cardinal  grew  very  angry  as  he  lis- 
tened to  Luther's  indignant  and  forcible 
words,  and  the  Italians  really  enjoyed  see- 
ing his  discomfiture,  for  Luther  very  plainly 
proved  that  the  cardinal  was  wrong.  In  his 
anger  he  threatened  to  send  Luther  to  Rome 
to  appear  before  judges  commissioned  to  try 
his  cause : 

" '  I  will  excommunicate  you  and  all  your 
partisans,  and  will  cast  you  out  of  the  Church. 
Full  power  has  been  given  me  for  this  pur- 
pose by  the  holy  apostolic  See.  Think  you 
that  your  protectors  will  stop  me  ?  Do  you 
imagine  that  the  pope  can  fear  Germany? 
The  pope's  little  finger  is  stronger  than  all 
the  princes  of  Germany  put  together.' 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  141 

" '  Condescend/  replied  Luther,   *  to   for- 
ward my  written  answer  to  Pope  Leo  X., 
with  my  most  humble  prayers.' 
Haughtily  the  legate  replied  : 
"  '  Retract,  or  return  no  more !' ' 
"  It  makes  me  think  of  Moses  and  Pha- 
raoh," said  Maggie. 

"  So  it  does  me,"  said  Charlie. 

"  Luther  left  the  cardinal's  presence,  and 

they  never  again  met ;  but  what  Luther  had 

said  about  faith  made  an  impression  upon 

the  cardinal  and  considerably  changed   his 


views." 


"  He  didn't  become  a  Reformer,  did  he  ?'7 
asked  Charlie. 

"  Oh  no,  but  he  retracted  his  errors. — 
Luther  returned  to  the  monastery  where  he 
had  been  a  guest.  He  had  stood  firm ;  he 
had  borne  witness  to  the  truth ;  he  had  done 
what  it  was  his  duty  to  do :  God  would  do 
the  rest.  His  heart  overflowed  with  joy  and 
peace." 

"  Were  his  troubles  over  now  ?"  asked 
Maggie. 

"  No.  A  rumor  went  throughout  the  city 
that  if  he  did  not  retract  he  was  to  be  seized 


142  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

and  thrown  into  a  dungeon ;  it  was  even 
said  that  his  friend  Staupitz  had  given  his 
consent  to  this.  Luther  would  not  for  a 
moment  believe  that  Staupitz  would  betray 
him.  Yet  even  if  his  life  was  in  danger, 
Luther  would  not  leave  Augsburg. 

"  The  cardinal  sent  for  Staupitz  and  tried 
to  persuade  him  to  use  his  influence  with 
Luther. 

" '  Try,'  he  said,  '  to  prevail  upon  your 
monk  and  induce  him  to  retract.'  And  then, 
in  a  most  condescending  way,  he  added, 
'Really,  I  am  pleased  with  him  on  the 
whole,  and  he  has  no  better  friend  than 
myself.' 

"  The  vicar-general  confessed  that  to  con- 
vince Luther  of  error  was  beyond  his  pow- 
er, and  proposed  that  the  cardinal  should 
have  a  public  discussion  with  him." 

"  What  did  the  cardinal  say  to  that  ?"  in- 
quired Stephen. 

"He  exclaimed, 

"  *  I  will  argue  no  more  with  the  beast. 
Those  eyes  of  his  are  too  deeply  set  in  his 
head,  and  his  looks  have  too  much  meaning 
in  them.' " 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  143 

"  He  was  afraid  of  Luther,"  said  Charlie. 

"  Did  Staupitz  go  then  to  Luther  and  urge 
his  retracting  ?"  asked  Josie. 

"  He  went  to  Luther  and  tried  to  persuade 
him  to  yield  a  little,  but  Luther  soon  silenced 
him ;  and  Staupitz  then  told  him  that  the 
cardinal  was  going  to  send  him  in  writing 
the  points  on  which  he  required  his  recan- 
tation. Then  Staupitz  told  Luther  he  was 
going  to  leave  Augsburg,  as  he  had  now 
nothing  more  to  do.  After  some  words  of 
comfort  they  separated,  and  Luther  sat  alone 
in  his  cell." 

"'Cell'!"  exclaimed  Maggie.  "Was  he 
in  prison?" 

"  Oh  no;  you  forget  that  he  was  a  guest  in 
a  convent,"  explained  Mrs.  Arnold.  "  They 
did  not  board  in  large  hotels.  He  was  used 
to  convents,  you  know." 

"  Yes,"  said  Josie ;  "  I  have  read  that  after 
his  marriage  he  still  lived  in  a  convent." 

"  Well,  when  he  sat  alone  in  his  cell,  did 
he  feel  like  taking  back  anything  he  had 
said?"  asked  Charlie. 

"  No ;  he  said,  '  I  will  not  become  a  here- 
tic by  renouncing  the  faith  that  has  made  me 


144  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

a  Christian.  Better  far  would  it  be  to  be 
cast  out  and  accursed  and  perish  at  the 
stake.' — The  cardinal  did  not  send  Luther 
the  paper  containing  points  that  he  was  ex- 
pected to  retract.  He  said  he  no  longer 
considered  Luther  a  heretic,  and  he  would 
not  excommunicate  him  at  this  time  unless 
he  received  further  instructions  from  Rome. 
And  he  added  that  if  Luther  would  only 
retract  on  the  subject  of  indulgences  the 
business  would  soon  be  settled." 

"And  what  would  he  do  about  other  points 
on  which  they  differed  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Oh,  no  matter  for  them  :  the  indulgences 
brought  in  the  money,  you  know,"  said 
Mr.  Arnold. — "After  quietly  waiting  sev- 
eral days  and  hearing  nothing  from  the 
cardinal,  Luther  wrote  him  a  letter  'en- 
treating his  fatherly  kindness,'  confessing 
that  he  had  not  shown  '  sufficient  diffidence, 
gentleness  and  respect  for  the  name  of  the 
sovereign  pontiff/  and  wishing  that  he  had 
conducted  his  cause  '  more  meekly,  court- 
eously and  reverently.' — 'This  grieves  me 
much,'  he  said,  '  and  I  ask  pardon.  I  will 
publicly  acknowledge  it  from  the  pulpit, 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  145 

and  will  endeavor  henceforth  to  speak  dif- 
ferently.' " 

"  I  wish  he  wouldn't  be  so  humble,"  ex- 
claimed Charlie. 

"  It  shows  that  he  did  not  want  to  rebel 
against  the  authority  of  the  Church,"  said 
Mr.  Arnold. 

"  How  did  the  cardinal  answer  his  letter?" 
asked  Josie. 

"  He  never  answered  it.  '  Perhaps  he  is 
waiting  to  hear  from  Rome,'  said  some  of 
Luther's  friends,  and  they  urged  Luther  to 
draw  up  an  appeal  to  the  pope  and  to  leave 
Augsburg  without  delay.  Luther  yielded 
to  the  wishes  of  his  friends  in  regard  to 
leaving  Augsburg.  Before  he  left  he  wrote 
to  the  cardinal,  telling  him  that  he  was  go- 
ing away.  It  was  a  bolder  letter  than  the 
other.  At  its  close  he  said,  '  I  have  com- 
mitted no  crime ;  I  ought,  therefore,  to  have 
nothing  to  fear.' 

"  This  letter  was  not  to  be  given  to  the  car- 
dinal until  after  his  departure,  for  fear  that 
he  might  prevent  him.  The  cardinal  was 
surprised  and  vexed  when  he  found  Luther 

had  left  the  city.     The  honor  of  healing  the 
10 


146  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

wounds  of  the  Church  and  of  re-establishing 
the  waning  influence  of  the  pope  in  Ger- 
many had  slipped  through  his  fingers. 
'  What  will  be  said  of  all  this  at  the  Vati- 
can ?'  he  could  not  help  asking  himself. 

"Serra  Longa  and  the  rest  of  the  Ital- 
ians were  furious  at  seeing  themselves  out- 
witted by  a  German  monk.  Luther's  friends 
rejoiced,  and  many  said  the  obstinacy  of 
Rome  would  hasten  her  ruin." 

Mr.  Arnold  laid  down  the  book,  and  they 
all  talked  together  about  Luther.  Mr.  Ar- 
nold told  them  that  when  Luther  got  as  far 
Nuremberg  he  saw  the  brief  the  pope  had 
sent  to  the  cardinal.  He  was  very  indig- 
nant, and  would  probably  never  have  ap- 
peared before  the  cardinal  if  he  had  known 
what  was  in  it. 

"  What  did  Luther  say  ?"  asked  Maggie. 

"  He  said,  '  It  is  impossible  to  believe  that 
anything  so  monstrous  can  have  come  from 
a  sovereign  pontiff.' ' 

"  Seems  to  me,"  said  Charlie,  "  it  took  him 
a  long  time  to  find  out  those  fellows." 

"  I  think  so  too,"  exclaimed  Stephen. 

Mr.  Arnold  reminded  the  children  that 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  147 

the  pope  in  this  brief,  or  letter,  to  the  car- 
dinal told  him  to  call  upon  the  emperor  and 
other  princes  of  Germany  to  aid  in  seizing 
Luther  and  bringing  him  to  Rome.  He 
proposed  excommunication  not  only  for  Lu- 
ther, but  also  for  all  who  failed  to  assist  in 
this  righteous  undertaking.  For  all,  except- 
ing the  emperor,  he  refused  Christian  burial 
if  they  declined  helping  secure  the  great  Re- 
former ;  he  also  deprived  them  of  their  prop- 
erty." 

"  How  could  Luther  escape  such  a  power- 
ful combination  against  him  ?"  asked  Mr. 
Arnold. 

"  The  Lord  protected  him,"  said  Josie, 
timidly. 

"  That  is  the  secret  of  it,  Josie,"  remarked 
her  father. — "  In  this  brief  it  was  stated  that 
Jerome,  bishop  of  Asculan,  had  declared 
him  a  heretic.  Luther  looked  at  the  date 
of  the  brief,  and  said,  '  The  most  remarkable 
part  of  the  transaction  is  this  :  the  brief  was 
issued  the  23d  of  August ;  I  was  summoned 
the  7th  of  August ;  so  that  between  the 
summons  and  the  brief  sixteen  days  had 
elapsed.  Now,  make  the  calculation,  and 


148  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

you  will  find  that  My  Lord  Jerome,  bishop 
of  Asculan,  proceeded  against  me,  pro- 
nounced judgment,  condemned  me  and  de- 
clared me  a  heretic  before  the  summons 
reached  me,  or,  at  the  most,  within  sixteen 
days  after  it  had  been  forwarded  to  me. 
Now,  I  ask,  what  becomes  of  the  sixty  days 
that  are  granted  me  in  the  summons  itself? 
They  began  the  7th  of  August ;  they  would 
expire  the  7th  of  October.  Is  this  the  style 
and  manner  of  the  Roman  court,  that  in  the 
same  day  she  summons,  exhorts,  accuses, 
judges,  condemns  and  declares  guilty,  and 
this,  too,  in  the  case  of  one  who  is  at  such 
a  distance  from  Rome  and  who  can  have 
no  knowledge  of  what  is  going  on?  What 
answer  can  they  make  to  all  this?' 

"The  same  day— August  23,  1518— the 
pope  wrote  to  the  elector  Frederick  in  a 
flattering  way,  trying  to  persuade  him  to 
deliver  Luther  into  the  cardinal's  hands. 
And  so  all  earthly  powers  were  put  in 
motion  against  the  humble  monk. 

"  When  Luther  read  the  pope's  brief," 
said  Mr.  Arnold,  "  he  felt  that  there  was  no 
place  where  he  could  dwell  in  safety.  He 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  149 

was  not  sure  that  even  Frederick  would 
protect  him  ;  and  if  Frederick  turned  against 
him,  he  would  probably  lose  all  his  friends 
at  court.  Staupitz  had  lost  favor  with  the 
prince,  and  he  was  leaving  Saxony ;  Spala- 
tin  had  not  much  influence  over  Frederick." 

"  Who  was  Spalatin  ?"  asked  Charlie. 

"Why,  Frederick's  secretary  and  chap- 
lain. Don't  you  remember  ?"  answered  Ste- 
phen. "  Frederick  was  very  fond  of  him  once, 
I  know." 

"  Yes,  Frederick  was  fond  of  him,  but 
Frederick  did  not  know  enough  about  the 
gospel  to  be  willing  to  risk  any  dangers," 
said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"Who  do  you  mean  by  'the  prince'?" 
asked  Charlie. 

"  Why,  Frederick  the  elector.  Some- 
times he  is  called  l  prince ;'  he  was  called 
*  elector '  because  he  was  one  of  the  princes 
who  '  elected '  the  emperor,"  answered  Mr. 
Arnold. 

"Where  did  Luther  go?"  asked  Paul. 

"  He  went  back  to  Wittemberg,  where  his 
friends  gave  him  a  warm  greeting.  He 
wrote  to  Spalatin  :  '  I  have  arrived  to-day 


150  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

at  Wittemberg,  safe  and  sound,  through 
God's  mercy,  but  how  long  I  shall  stay  here 
I  know  not.  I  am  filled  with  joy  and  peace, 
and  find  it  hard  to  conceive  how  the  trial  I 
am  enduring  can  appear  so  grievous  to  so 
many  distinguished  men.' ' 

"  You  said  the  pope  wrote  to  the  elector 
Frederick,  father;  how  did  the  elector  an- 
swer?" asked  Josie. 

"The  elector  sent  the  letter  to  Luther, 
who  was  very  indignant  when  he  read  it. 
Luther  immediately  wrote  to  Frederick, 
telling  him  all  about  the  conference  at 
Augsburg.  '  I  would  like  to  answer  that 
letter  myself/  he  said,  '  putting  myself  in 
the  elector's  place ;'  and  he  told  the  prince 
what  he  would  like  to  say.  His  words  were 
so  full  of  truth  and  earnestness,  so  coura- 
geous and  trustful,  so  humble  and  eloquent, 
that  they  made  a  deep  impression  upon  Fred- 
erick, and  he  resolved  not  to  be  moved  either 
by  flatteries  or  by  threats.  He  declined  to 
send  Luther  to  Rome,  neither  would  he  ban- 
ish him  from  his  territories. 

"  The  university  at  Wittemberg  had  also 
addressed  a  letter  to  the  elector,  the  students 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  151 

declaring  themselves  on  the  side  of  Luther. 
This  letter  no  doubt  helped  Frederick  to 
decide  in  Luther's  favor.  This  university 
had  a  great  and  growing  reputation.  Crowds 
of  students  flocked  to  it  from  all  Germany. 
As  they  came  from  afar  to  be  instructed 
within  its  walls,  some  of  these  young  men 
would  stop  when  they  discovered  in  the  dis- 
tance the  steeples  of  Wittemberg,  and,  rais- 
ing their  hands  to  heaven,  would  bless  God 
for  having  caused  the  light  of  truth  to  shine 
forth  from  Wittemberg." 

"  These  students,  Luther  said,  were  as 
diligent  as  ants  upon  an  ant-hill,"  remarked 
Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Did  Luther  stay  at  Wittemberg  ?"  asked 
Stephen. 

"  He  began  to  think  of  France  as  a  place 
where  he  might  be  safe.  The  doctors  of  the 
Paris  university  had  a  liberty  that  he  en- 
vied. He  hastened  to  prepare  a  report  of 
the  Augsburg  conference ;  he  wanted  it  pre- 
served as  a  memorial  of  the  struggle  between 
Rome  and  himself.  He  daily  expected  to  be 
driven  out  of  Germany.  His  friends  were 
full  of  fears ;  they  entreated  him  to  deliver 


152  MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

himself  into  the  hands  of  the  elector  as  a 
prisoner,  so  that  he  might  be  in  safe  keep- 
ing." 

"  Why  didn't  he  stay  where  he  was  and 
let  God  take  care  of  him  ?"  questioned  Mag- 
gie. 

"  It  was  not  so  much  fear  of  danger  to 
himself  that  led  Luther  to  think  of  going 
as  it  was  the  opposition  that  hindered  his 
speaking  and  writing  many  things.  '  If  I 
depart,'  he  said,  '  I  will  freely  pour  forth 
the  thoughts  of  my  heart  and  devote  my 
life  to  Christ.' " 

"  Did  he  go  to  France  ?"  asked  Josie. 

"No.  One  day  word  came  from  Fred- 
erick telling  him  to  go.  He  invited  his 
friends  to  a  farewell  repast,  and  while  they 
were  at  the  table  a  letter  came  enclosing  an 
order  for  his  departure  and  asking  why  he 
delayed  so  long.  He  was  dejected  for  a  mo- 
ment, but  soon  his  courage  returned ;  and, 
raising  his  head,  he  said  firmly  and  joyfully 
to  those  about  him,  '  Father  and  mother  for- 
sake me,  but  the  Lord  will  take  me  up.' ' 

"  So  he  had  to  go !"  mournfully  exclaimed 
little  Paul. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  153 

"No.  A  second  message  soon  arrived 
telling  him  to  stay.  'As  the  pope's  new 
envoy  hopes  that  everything  may  be  settled 
by  a  conference,'  the  letter  read,  'remain 
for  the  present.' ' 

"  Good !"  exclaimed  Paul  and  Maggie  both 
at  once. 

"  The  darkest  hour  was  just  before  the 
dawn,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Yes.  Luther  and  the  cause  of  the  Ref- 
ormation had  been  brought  very  low,  but 
from  that  time  the  Reformer  rapidly  arose, 
and  his  influence  continued  to  increase.  If 
Grandmother  Morris  were  here,  she  would 
say,  'At  the  word  of  the  Lord  his  servants 
go  down  to  the  depths  and  mount  up  again 
to  heaven,' "  said  Mr.  Arnold.  "  You  re- 
member how  grandmother  always  had  a 
text  ready." 

"Read  a  little  more,  father,"  said  Josie. 

"It  is  time  for  us  to  stop  for  this  even- 
ing," said  Mrs.  Arnold ;  "  and  I  propose 
that  Stephen  tells  us  next  time  what  he  has 
found  out  about  modern  Romanists." 

"  I  would  just  like  to  tell  you  one  thing 
more,"  said  Mr.  Arnold.  "  The  pope  pub- 


154  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

lished  another  bull,  confirming  the  doctrine  of 
indulgences,  but  making  no  mention  of  Fred- 
erick or  Luther.  The  cardinal  published  it. 
Luther  appealed  from  the  pope  to  a  general 
council  of  the  Church.  He  had  his  appeal 
printed,  and  ordered  the  printer  to  give  him 
all  the  copies.  He  expected  soon  to  be 
driven  from  Germany,  and  he  resolved  not 
to  leave  without  a  public  protest,  but  he 
wanted  to  keep  quiet  until  the  right  time 
came.  However,  the  printer,  to  make  a  lit- 
tle money,  sold  every  copy,  and  they  were 
dispersed  far  and  wide.  Luther  was  much 
annoyed,  but  the  thing  was  done." 


CHAPTER    IX. 

MODERN  ROMANISTS. 

WHEN  the  next  Sabbath  evening  came, 
Stephen  was  ready  to  tell  many  things 
about  modern  Romanists.  The  books  his 
mother  directed  him  to  examine  were  bound 
volumes  of  The  American  and  Foreign  Chris- 
tian Union,  a  monthly  magazine  that  had 
long  ago  been  banished  to  the  garret  to 
make  room  for  newer  books  in  the  library. 
These  books  Stephen  brought  down  into  his 
bedroom,  and  began  to  read  them. 

Almost  the  first  thing  that  Stephen  found 
was  an  article  about  Dr.  Achilli.  Stephen 
was  very  much  interested,  and  very  indig- 
nant at  the  treatment  Dr.  Achilli  received ; 
and  he  lost  no  time  in  bringing  this  case 
before  the  family,  assembled  in  the  pleas- 
ant parlor : 

"  Why,  mother,  Dr.  Achilli  wasn't  doing 
anything  but  circulating  the  Bible  when  he 

155 


156  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

was  arrested  and  thrown  into  the  Inquisi- 
tion." 

"  By  Romanists  ?"  asked  Maggie. 

"  Yes,  of  course.     Who  else  would  do  it?" 

"When,  Stephen?" 

"It  was  in  1850,  the  book  said.  First 
he  was  in  the  Inquisition,  and  then  he  was 
taken  to  the  castle  of  St.  Angelo,  a  strong 
fortress  in  Rome. — Shall  I  get  the  book  and 
read  it,  father?" 

"  No ;  tell  it  to  us." 

"  His  friends  worked  hard  to  get  him 
out,  and  at  last  he  escaped  in  the  dress  of 
a  French  soldier." 

"  What  had  he  been  doing,  did  you  say  ?" 
asked  Paul. 

"  Nothing  but  preaching  and  circulating 
the  Bible." 

"Where?"  asked  Josie. 

"In  the  city  of  Rome,"  answered  Ste- 
phen. 

"He  was  a  Romanist,  and  he  left  the 
Church  of  Rome  and  became  a  Protest- 
ant," said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"Have  you  read  about  it?"  asked  Mag- 
gie. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  157 

"  Yes,  Maggie ;  I  read  about  it  in  the 
papers. — Tell  us  all  you  can  remember, 
Stephen." 

"  They  accused  him  of  crimes  which  I  sup- 
pose he  didn't  commit,  and  did  not  give  him  a 
chance  to  defend  himself.  He  was  suspected 
of  heresy  while  he  was  prior  of  a  Dominican 
convent  at  Naples,  and,  to  test  him,  they 
ordered  him  to  preach  a  sermon  about  the 
Virgin  Mary ;  and  when  he  declined  doing 
it,  he  was  seized  by  the  Inquisition  and 
brought  to  Rome.  He  escaped  and  went 
to  Corfu,  and  there  he  wrote  a  letter  to  the 
pope  telling  him  he  had  become  a  Protes- 
tant. He  was  imprisoned  by  persons  who 
pretended  they  were  acting  under  orders 
of  the  French  government." 

"  Rome  was  under  the  military  rule  of 
France  at  that  time,"  explained  Mr.  Ar- 
nold. 

"Yes,  father;  I  read  about  that,"  said 
Stephen. 

"  Well,  we  haven't,"  said  Maggie,  "  and 
you  must  make  it  as  plain  as  you  can." 

Stephen  smiled  and  said, 

"Give    me   a   chance,   Maggie."      Then, 


158  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

turning  to  his  father,  he  said,  "  He  did  not 
have  such  a  very  hard  time  at  St.  Angelo, 
for  an  American  gentleman  visited  him  and 
spoke  of  his  having  books ;  but  he  was  not 
allowed  writing-materials.  His  friends  had 
very  little  hope  of  his  release,  but  he  ex- 
pected it  when  the  pope  returned." 

"  Where  was  the  pope  ?"  asked  Charlie. 

"Who  was  the  pope?"  asked  Maggie. 

"  Pius  IX.  He  fled  from  Rome  in  1848," 
said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Let  me  tell  about  that,"  said  Stephen. 

"  Finish  about  Dr.  Achllli  first,"  said  Mrs. 
Arnold. 

"  First  they  tried  to  make  him  a  Roman- 
ist again,  but  it  was  no  use  talking  to  him ; 
and  then  the  French  government  sent  two 
soldiers  for  him  with  a  carriage,  and  they 
drove  to  a  place  where  they  left  him  alone 
with  soldiers'  clothes  by  him,  so  he  just  put 
them  on  and  walked  off;  and  then  friends 
gave  him  money,  and  he  sailed  away." 

"  But  I  read  about  a  man  who  had  a  worse 
time  than  Dr.  Achilli  in  the  Inquisition. 
He  was  a  poor  monk  about  sixty  years  old, 
and  he  was  kept  in  a  dungeon  twelve  years. 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  159 

He  could  hardly  walk  when  he  was  dragged 
out." 

"  How  horrible !"  exclaimed  Maggie.  "  I'm 
glad  they  don't  do  such  things  in  this  coun- 
try. I  should  think  they  would  all  come 
over  here." 

"Who,  Maggie?"  asked  Stephen. 

"  Why,  any  one  who  is  persecuted." 

Mr.  Arnold  turned  to  his  wife  and  asked 
her  if  she  remembered  about  the  Madiai  fam- 
ily ;  and  Mrs.  Arnold  said  she  did  remem- 
ber, and  there  was  a  little  book  about  them 
somewhere  in  the  house.* 

"  Who  were  they  ?"  inquired  Charlie. 

"A  Portuguese  family  who  were  driven 
by  persecution  from  the  island  of  Madeira." 

"  Oh,  I  read  about  Portuguese  exiles  that 
came  to  New  York  from  Madeira  and  went 
out  to  Illinois.  Wherever  they  stopped  the 
people  were  so  kind  to  them !  They  gave 
them  money,  took  them  into  their  homes, 
and  furnished  them  with  employment  when 
they  wished  to  stay.  One  of  their  own 
ministers  was  with  them." 

"  What  means  '  exiles '  ?"  asked  Paul. 

*  Letters  of  the  Madiai,  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication. 


160  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  Persons  sent  away  from  their  country 
and  homes,"  answered  Mr.  Arnold.  "About 
four  hundred  and  fifty  were  banished,  or  sent 
away,  because  they  loved  and  obeyed  God 
and  his  word." 

"  I  read  about  those  Portuguese  exiles," 
said  Stephen.  "  There  was  a  meeting  held 
in  Brooklyn,  at  the  church  of  the  Pilgrims, 
and  Dr.  Bethune  spoke  about  their  persecu- 
tions.— And,  fatner,  he  spoke  about  the  pope 
fleeing  from  Rome.  He  said  he  fled  like  a 
hireling  and  left  the  flock.  Then  God's  faith- 
ful servants  carried  the  Bible  into  Rome; 
and  he  said  there  was  enough  Bible  there 
to  blow  sky-high  all  the  cardinals." 

"Did  Dr.  Bethune  say  'sky-high'?"  in- 
quired Maggie,  gravely. 

"  Yes,  miss,  he  did,"  said  Stephen.  "An- 
other thing  I  read.  The  pope  while  in  ex- 
ile wrote  a  very  sorrowful  letter.  He  said 
he  could  not  refrain  from  tears  at  the  mis- 
chief Protestantism  was  making.  Some 
Italians  were  so  base  that  they  formed  the 
design  of  drawing  their  fellow-countrymen 
into  the  religious  meetings  of  the  Protes- 
tants." 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  161 

"  Just  think  what  a  crime !"  exclaimed 
Mr.  Arnold,  in  mock-horror. 

The  children  soon  found  that  the  spirit  of 
popery  was  the  same  in  this  age.  Stephen 
read  to  them  a  letter  from  a  missionary  in 
Hayti  telling  what  the  work  of  the  Roman- 
ists had  effected  in  that  island  during  the 
three  and  a  half  centuries  in  which  they 
have  labored  to  advance  their  religion. 
The  people  are  debased  and  immoral ; 
crimes  are  regarded  as  virtues  by  the  ig- 
norant and  with  indifference  by  those  who 
have  some  education.  The  mass,  proces- 
sions, benedictions,  and  a  host  of  other  coarse 
superstitions,  are  the  chief  parts  of  religion 
in  Hayti. 

"  God  is  almost  unknown  there,"  wrote 
this  missionary ;  "  it  is  to  the  Virgin  and 
the  saints  that  the  people  address  their 
prayers.  If  they  lose  anything,  they  ad- 
dress themselves  to  St.  Anthony.  Are 
they  sick?  They  wash  three  times  a  day 
in  holy  water.  About  five  months  since, 
the  child  Jesus,  Mary  and  Joseph  were  said 
to  have  descended  on  a  palm  tree,  and  they 
were  of  a  black  color" 
ii 


162  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"And  that  was  in  1850,"  said  Charlie, 
laughing. 

Stephen  continued  reading: 

"All  the  children  wear  on  their  breasts 
a  leaden,  pewter  or  silver  cross,  according 
to  the  means  of  their  parents.  Gold  crosses 
are  held  in  great  veneration.  These  igno- 
rant people  believe  that  if  any  one  has  a 
cross  of  gold  in  his  house  all  is  safe.  Some 
will  steal  for  the  sake  of  obtaining  a  gold 
cross.  The  church  of  Gonaives  was  robbed 
a  few  years  ago,  and  the  robber,  having  been 
discovered,  said  that  he  did  it  to  get  a  gold- 
en cross.  Nevertheless,  he  was  shot.  The 
masses  said  for  the  dead  are  in  great  vogue 
in  Hayti ;  sometimes  a  hundred  candles  are 
burning  during  the  mass.  When  the  ser- 
vice is  over,  the  people  dance,  sing  and  feast. 
When  some  one  dies,  the  soul  of  the  deceased 
is  accustomed  to  come  during  the  night  and 
spill  or  trouble  the  water  which  is  in  the 
vessels  of  the  house.  Then  they  make  what 
they  call  a  neuvaine.  A  woman  who  has  no 
other  employment  begins,  on  the  invitation 
of  the  relatives  of  the  deceased,  by  making 
a  cake,  which  she  places  on  the  threshold 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  163 

of  the  door.  Then  they  furnish  her  with 
four  bottles  of  oil  and  four  candles,  and  she 
makes  prayers  during  nine  nights.  The 
ninth  night  the  relatives  and  friends  of  the 
deceased  assemble,  and  eat,  drink,  dance  and 
amuse  themselves,  and  all  is  finished.  The 
woman  who  officiates  takes  four  dollars  for 
her  prayers ;  a  mass  is  also  performed.  A 
few  persons  who  have  been  educated  reject 
these  superstitions.  The  population  is  said 
to  be  about  seven  hundred  thousand  souls, 
and  the  people,  as  a  general  thing,  are  very 
indolent. 

"Another  missionary  writes,"  continued 
Stephen,  "  that  the  labors  of  Protestant  mis- 
sionaries have  already  accomplished  much 
good." 

The  next  thing  Stephen  brought  before 
the  family  circle  was  notes  of  a  lecture  deliv- 
ered in  New  York  by  Archbishop  Hughes. 
His  subject  was  "The  Decline  of  Protes- 
tantism, and  its  Causes." 

"I  did  not  know  it  had  declined,"  re- 
marked Mrs.  Arnold. 

"Well,  the  archbishop  said  it  has,"  re- 
plied Stephen,  "and  he  points  to  France, 


164  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

where,  he  says,  the  Protestant  churches  are 
only  the  decay  of  ancient  splendor." 

"  I  should  think,"  remarked  Mrs.  Arnold, 
"  that  the  archbishop  would  be  ashamed  to 
speak  on  that  subject.  Just  think  what  the 
Romish  Church  has  done  to  cause  the  de- 
cline of  Protestantism  in  France.  Remem- 
ber the  scenes  of  blood  for  which  Rome 
was  accountable  in  the  reigns  of  Francis  I., 
Henry  II.,  Francis  II.,  Charles  IX.,  Henry 
III.,  Louis  XIII.,  Louis  XIV.  and  Louis 
XV.  Remember  the  Massacre  of  St.  Bar- 
tholomew and  the  Revocation  of  the  Edict 
of  Nantes.  Yes,  Protestantism  in  France 
was  almost  extinguished  by  bloody  and  long- 
continued  persecution  instigated  by  Rome." 

"  Even  as  late  as  1817,"  said  Mr.  Arnold, 
"  she  tried  to  repeat  those  scenes  of  blood." 

"The  archbishop  berates  the  Protestants 
on  account  of  their  want  of  success  in  their 
missions  among  the  heathen,"  said  Stephen. 

"What  have  they  done?"  inquired  Mrs. 
Arnold.  "  What  are  Rome's  converts  com- 
pared with  the  converts  of  Protestantism? 
Look  at  the  crucifix-kissing,  picture-wor- 
shiping converts  in  China  and  India.  And 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  165 

where   are  their  printing-presses  and  their 
schools?" 

"  He  says,"  continued  Stephen,  "  that  if 
Protestantism  had  been  what  it  professed  to 
be  it  had  the  means  to  carry  its  conquests  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth." 

"  Why  did  not  Protestantism  triumph  in 
all  countries  as  it  did  in  England,  Wales, 
Scotland,  Holland,  portions  of  Germany  and 
Switzerland,  Denmark,  Norway  and  Swe- 
den?" asked  Mrs.  Arnold.  And  then  she 
answered  her  own  question,  saying,  "  Be- 
cause Rome  exerted  all  her  power  to  root 
out  what  she  called  '  Lutheran  heresy.' ' 

"  He  complains  that  Protestantism  casts 
off  all  human  authority,"  said  Stephen. 

"  What  a  charge !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Yes,  and  it  goes  to  the  Bible  for  author- 
ity," said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

" '  Does  popery  forbid  the  Bible  ?'  is  a 
question  often  raised  between  Romanists  and 
Protestants,"  remarked  Mr.  Arnold,  "and 
it  is  a  point  of  dispute  which  may  be  de- 
cided either  way.  It  can  be  clearly  proved 
that  the  Church  of  Rome  forbids  the  free 
use  of  the  Bible  by  her  children,  and  it 


166  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

can  also  be  proved  that  she  allows  it,  or 
seems  to  allow  it.  This  double-tongued 
teaching  of  hers  is  very  convenient  for  her 
purposes ;  she  can  thus  keep  the  Book  out 
of  the  hands  of  men  without  exposing  her- 
self to  just  reproaches — at  least,  she  thinks 
she  can." 

"We  find  a  rule  enacted  by  the  great 
Council  of  Trent  and  approved  by  Pope 
Pius  IV.  which  wrests  the  Scriptures  out 
of  the  hands  of  obedient  Romanists,"  said 
Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  They  can  read  the  Douay  Bible,  I  be- 
lieve," said  Stephen. 

"  That  has  never  been  approved  for  gen- 
eral use  either  by  pope,  council  or  synod," 
answered  his  father. 

"  I  read  about  a  Spaniard,"  said  Stephen, 
"  who  was  a  devout  Romanist ;  I  believe  he 
was  a  priest.  One  day,  when  he  was  sick, 
he  found  in  his  library  a  Bible.  He  began 
to  study  it,  and  soon  became  a  Protestant. 
He  wrote  to  the  bishop  about  the  change  in 
his  views,  but  the  bishop  did  not  answer 
him.  Then  he  wrote  to  the  teachers  of 
theology  at  the  university  at  Saragossa. 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STOKIES.  167 

The  easiest  way  for  them  to  treat  the  mat- 
ter was  to  get  the  Spaniard  thrown  into  the 
Inquisition.  His  health  was  feeble,  and  he 
came  near  dying  before  he  escaped." 

"  How  did  he  get  out?"  eagerly  asked  Paul. 

"  His  friends  helped  him ;  I  do  not  know 
exactly  how.  He  went  to  France,  but  soon 
came  back  to  his  congregation ;  and  it  was 
not  long  before  he  was  again  seized.  The 
terrible  officers  of  the  Inquisition  examined 
him,  and  in  answer  to  their  questions  he 
frankly  declared  that  he  took  his  opinions 
from  the  Bible.  He  said  that  purgatory  was 
an  invention  of  men,  and  many  other  things 
which  the  officers  did  not  like.  Some  persons 
wanted  to  burn  this  man  at  the  stake,  but 
the  inquisitor-general  objected.  They  gave 
him  a  second  trial,  and  again  proposed  burn- 
ing him.  They  tried  to  make  him  retract, 
but  he  would  not.  And  then  he  became 
sick,  and  soon  died.  During  his  sickness 
the  Romanists  tried  in  every  way  to  per- 
suade him  to  give  up  his  Protestant  views 
and  be  reconciled  to  the  Church.  '  I  am 
in  God's  hands,'  he  said,  'and  have  noth- 
ing more  to  do.' ' 


168  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Stephen  was  silent  a  moment,  and,  for  a 
wonder,  no  one  spoke;  they  were  waiting 
for  Stephen  to  tell  something  more.  Then 
he  said  he  had  read  about  St.  Peter  coming 
in  a  vision  to  the  pope  and  telling  him  that 
he  had  lost  all  chance  of  salvation  by  allow- 
ing his  subjects  some  political  reforms,  and 
informing  him  that  the  only  way  he  could 
regain  the  favor  of  Heaven  was  to  restore 
things  as  they  were  in  the  days  of  Pope 
Gregory  XVI. 

"  I  did  not  suppose  popes  could  lose  the 
favor  of  Heaven,"  said  Josie,  "  or  lose  their 
chances  of  Heaven." 

"No;  they  generally  want  us  to  believe 
that  the  pope  is  infallible,"  said  Mrs.  Ar- 
nold. 

"  Yes ;  and  let  me  tell  you  something," 
said  Stephen,  eagerly.  "  There  was  a  Cap- 
tain Pakenham,  an  Irishman  who  had  been 
helping  print  the  New  Testament  in  Flor- 
ence. He  said  they  took  an  edition  trans- 
lated by  an  archbishop  of  Florence — not 
because  it  was  the  best  edition,  but  because 
one  of  the  popes  had  approved  of  it — and 
he  asks  how  one  infallible  pope  can  give 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  169 

his  approval  to  a  translation  which  another 
infallible  pope  seizes." 

"  Could  he  answer  that  question  ?"  asked 
Mr.  Arnold,  laughing. 

"  No,  father ;  he  said  if  he  must  give  an 
explanation  of  the  infallibility  of  the  popes 
he  would  have  more  than  he  could  get 
through ;  so  he  passed  it  over,  only  saying 
that  this  infallible  pope,  Pius  IX.,  did  seize 
this  edition  of  Martini's,  which  was  approved 
by  another  infallible  pope,  and  it  is  now  in 
the  top-story  of  a  very  high  palace  in  Flor- 
ence. The  bottom  story  is  a  common  prison." 

"  When  was  this  ?"  asked  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  It  was  in  1850,"  answered  Stephen. 

Charlie  laughed  and  said, 

"  Everything  you  tell  seems  to  be  in  1850." 

"  Well,"  replied  Stephen,  "  I  was  reading 
the  first  volume  of  those  books  mother  gave 
me,  and  it  contained  only  the  magazines  of 
that  year." 

After  a  pause  Stephen  said, 

"  This  Captain  Pakenham  said,  '  When 
the  pope  leaves  Rome,  we  can  print  the 
Scriptures  there ;  and  when  the  pope  comes 
back  again,  we  must  lock  up  the  Scriptures. 


170  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

He  told  a  story  of  what  happened  in  carry- 
ing the  Testaments  from  the  printing-house 
and  his  own  house  to  the  prison.  A  com- 
mon police-officer  who  considered  himself  a 
mighty  great  character  called  upon  one  of 
the  men  who  were  carrying  them,  and,  with 
a  great  show  of  authority,  said,  '  I  challenge 
you,  in  the  name  of  the  law,  to  tell  me 
whether  there  are  any  more  of  this  sort  of 
books  in  your  master's  house.'  The  man  re- 
plied that  he  had  better  ask  his  master.  '  Oh/ 
replied  this  officer,  '  you  are  not  to  set  aside 
my  authority  in  that  way ;  I  desire  you  to 
obey  me/  The  man  replied  that  if  he  must 
know  he  would  give  his  opinion  frankly. 
'  But  mind/  he  said,  '  you  asked  for  it. 
You  say  that  it  is  a  bad  book,  and  that  it 
must  be  seized  and  imprisoned ;  and  you  ask 
me  if  there  are  any  more.  Why,  if  it  is  a 
bad  book,  the  author  of  it  must  be  bad,  and 
you  had  better  seize  and  imprison  him/ 
The  officer  had  nothing  more  to  say.  When 
the  edition  was  printed,  every  one  of  the 
workmen  asked  for  a  copy,  saying  they 
knew  it  was  a  good  book.  You  may  be 
sure  Captain  Pakenham  was  glad  to  give 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  171 

it  to  them.  Afterward  the  captain  was 
called  to  defend  himself,  and  so  was  the 
printer;  but,  after  bringing  the  matter  be- 
fore several  courts,  they  were  released  after 
paying  the  smallest  possible  fines  and  the 
expenses  of  the  courts,  which  were  very 
trifling." 

"  Paul  looks  as  if  he  wanted  to  ask  a 
question,"  said  Stephen,  pausing  in  his  nar- 
rative. 

"  He  has  looked  so  very  long,"  remarked 
Maggie. 

"Well,  little  chap,  what  is  it?"  ques- 
tioned Stephen. 

"  What  means  '  infallible'  ?"  asked  Paul. 

"  Not  able  to  do  wrong  or  make  any  mis- 
take," answered  Stephen. 

"St.  Peter  put  him  in  a  bad  fix,"  said 
Charlie. 

"How  long  was  Pius  IX.  in  exile?" 
asked  Josie. 

"About  seventeen  months,"  said  Stephen. 
"  But  he  need  not  have  stayed  all  that  time. 
When  he  came  back,  they  did  not  give  him 
a  very  flattering  reception,  though  there  was 
a  great  crowd  assembled  on  the  open  place 


172  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

in  front  of  St.  John  de  Lateran.  A  thanks- 
giving was  celebrated  in  that  famous  church, 
but  the  building  was  not  half  full.  When 
the  service  was  over,  the  pope  went  in  state 
to  the  Vatican  palace,  which  is  more  than 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  church.  The 
Vatican  is  near  St.  Peter's  church,  and  an- 
other service  was  held  there.  The  illumi- 
nation in  the  evening  was  general,  and  there 
was  a  very  good  reason  for  it :  nobody  dared 
refuse  to  comply  with  the  invitation  of  the 
police  to  place  a.  candle  at  his  window  unless 
he  wished  to  get  into  serious  and  long-con- 
tinued trouble.  But  there  were  many  who 
withheld  their  homage.  A  little  printed 
sheet  was  largely  circulated  in  the  city  in 
which  many  bold  truths  were  spoken  which 
must  have  made  the  old  pope  tremble." 

Mr.  Arnold  told  the  children  many  things 
about  the  state  of  Italy  and  France  at  that 
time,  but  my  book  would  grow  too  large  if 
I  gave  you  all  their  conversations. 


CHAPTER  X. 

MAXIMILIAN'S  THRONE, 

HAT  was  the  last  we  had  about  Lu- 
ther?  Where  did  we  leave  off?" 
questioned  Mr.  Arnold  as  the  little  group 
gathered  around  him. 

"  He  was  thinking  about  going  to  France," 
answered  Josie.  "  He  expected  to  be  driven 
out  of  Germany." 

"  Yes — exiled,"  said  Maggie  ;  "  like  the 
Portuguese  exiles." 

"But  he  didn't  go,"  said  Charlie. 

"  No ;  first  Frederick  told  him  to  go,  and 
then  he  told  him  to  stay,"  said  Stephen. 

"And  the  pope  published  another  bull, 
and  Luther  appealed  to  a  general  council  of 
the  Church.  This  appeal  was  a  new  attack 
upon  the  authority  of  the  pope.  A  bull  of 
Pius  II.  had  pronounced  the  great  excom- 
munication against  any  one — even  though 
he  should  be  the  emperor  himself — who 

173 


174  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

should  be  guilty  of  such  a  rejection  of  the 
holy  Father's  authority. 

"  You  know  that  in  the  Romish  Church 
they  practice  what  they  call  greater  and 
lesser  excommunication.  The  lesser  ex- 
cludes a  person  from  the  sacraments  and 
certain  other  privileges  of  the  Church,  and 
is  pronounced  upon  private  sinners ;  but  the 
greater  excommunication  is  far  more  severe 
and  farreaching.  It  cuts  the  offender  off 
not  only  from  church  membership,  but  also 
from  all  social  intercourse  with  Christians. 
A  man  thus  cursed  by  the  Church  must  be 
shunned  by  all.  Heresy,  public  apostasy 
and  great  crimes  were  punished  in  this  way 
by  the  Church,  and  the  sinner  lost  his  rank 
and  office,  his  civil  rights  and  property. 

"  Frederick  of  Saxony,  not  yet  strong  in 
the  faith,  was  on  the  point  of  banishing 
Luther  from  his  estate.  A  second  message 
from  Leo  X.  would  in  that  case  have  thrown 
the  Reformer  among  strangers,  who  might 
fear  to  shelter  a  poor  monk  cursed  by  pow- 
erful Rome.  But  at  the  moment  when  all 
his  courtiers  were  urging  Leo  to  rigorous 
measures,  when  another  blow  would  have 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  175 

laid  his  enemy  at  his  feet,  the  pope  sudden- 
ly changed  his  course  and  made  peaceful 
offers." 

"  Why  did  he  do  it?"  asked  Stephen. 

"  Several  reasons  are  given.  Some  think 
he  mistook  Frederick's  feeling  and  supposed 
him  to  be  more  friendly  to  Luther  than  he 
really  was;  but  I  do  not  think  that  would 
have  made  much  difference  with  the  pope. 
Let  me  read  you  what  D'Aubigne  says ;" 
and  Mr.  Arnold  took  up  the  book  and  read : 
"A  noble  Saxon,  chamberlain  to  the  pope, 
and  canon  of  Mentz,  of  Treves  and  of  Meis- 
sen, was  then  at  the  court  of  Home.  He 
had  worked  his  way  into  favor.  He  boast- 
ed of  his  connection  by  family  relation- 
ship with  the  princes  of  Saxony;  so  that 
the  Roman  courtiers  sometimes  called  him 
*  duke  of  Saxony.'  In  Italy  he  paraded  his 
German  nobility  ;  in  Germany  he  awkward- 
ly affected  the  manners  and  refinements  of 
Italy.  He  was  addicted  to  wine,  and  this 
vice  had  gained  strength  from  his  residence 
at  Home.  Nevertheless,  the  Roman  cour- 
tiers built  great  hopes  on  him.  His  Ger- 
man origin,  his  insinuating  manners  and 


176  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

his  skill  in  negotiation  altogether  persuaded 
them  that  Charles  Miltitz  would  by  his  pru- 
dence succeed  in  arresting  the  revolution 
that  threatened  the  world. 

"  It  was  important  to  hide  the  real  object 
of  the  Roman  chamberlain's  mission,  and 
this  was  not  difficult.  Four  years  before, 
the  pious  elector  had  petitioned  the  pope  for 
the  Golden  Rose.  This  Rose  was  supposed 
to  represent  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ;  it 
was  consecrated  every  year  by  the  sover- 
eign pontiff  and  presented  to  one  of  the 
leading  princes  of  Europe.  It  was  decided 
to  present  it  this  year  to  the  elector." 

"What  was  it  like?"  inquired  Josie. 

"  It  was  merely  an  ornament,  I  believe," 
answered  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  I  read,"  said  Stephen,  "  that  Cardinal 
Patrizzi,  who  was  sent  to  Paris  to  baptize 
the  prince  imperial,  carried  a  Golden  Rose 
as  a  present  from  the  pope  to  the  empress. 
It  must  have  looked  like  a  rose,  for  I  re- 
member he  said  it  represented  to  the  eyes 
of  all  the  faithful  the  most  magnificent 
flower." 

"  Let  us  hear  about  Miltitz,"  said  Mr.  Ar- 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORTES.  177 

nold,  resuming  his  reading :  "  Miltitz  was 
sent  from  Rome  to  look  into  affairs  gen- 
erally, and  also  to  gain  an  influence  over 
Spalatin  and  Pfeffmger,  the  elector's  coun- 
selors; he  was  entrusted  with  private  let- 
ters for  them.  By  thus  making  friends  of 
those  who  surrounded  the  elector,  Rome 
expected  quickly  to  become  the  mistress  of 
her  now  formidable  enemy. 

"  The  new  legate  arrived  in  Germany  in 
December,  1518,  and  endeavored  in  the 
course  of  his  journey  to  sound  the  general 
opinion.  To  his  great  astonishment,  he  no- 
ticed, wherever  he  stopped,  that  the  major- 
ity of  the  inhabitants  were  favorable  to  the 
Reformation.  Men  spoke  of  Luther  with 
enthusiasm.  For  one  who  declared  himself 
on  the  pope's  side  he  found  three  against 
him. 

"  The  mere  report  of  the  arrival  of  the 
new  legate  spread  suspicion  and  distrust  in 
the  elector's  court,  the  university,  the  city 
of  Wittemberg  and  throughout  Saxony. 
'Thank  God,  Martin  is  still  alive!'  Me- 
lanchthon  wrote  in  alarm.  It  was  whis- 
pered that  Miltitz  had  orders  to  get  Luther 

12 


178  ME.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

into  his  power  by  snare  and  violence.  Many 
warned  him  to  be  on  his  guard.  When  it 
was  told  Luther  that  Miltitz  had  a  brief 
from  the  pope,  with  orders  to  seize  him,  he 
replied,  '  I  wait  the  will  of  God.' ' 

"Did  he  really  have  such  a  brief?" 
asked  Josie. 

"He  had  numerous  letters  addressed  to 
the  elector,  his  counselors,  the  bishops  and 
the  burgomaster  of  Wittemberg.  He  brought 
with  him  seventy  apostolic  briefs.  If  the 
flattery  and  the  favors  of  Rome  were  suc- 
cessful, and  Frederick  should  deliver  up 
Luther,  these  briefs  were  to  be  used  as 
passports.  It  was  his  plan  to  post  up  one 
of  them  in  each  town  on  his  route,  and  in 
this  way  to  convey  his  prisoner  to  Rome 
without  opposition." 

"And  what  did  Frederick  do?  I  thought 
you  once  said  he  was  Luther's  great  friend  ?" 
said  Josie. 

"  Frederick  and  his  court  hardly  knew 
what  to  do.  The  mildness  and  the  flattery 
of  the  holy  Father,  uttered  by  his  legate, 
could  not  easily  be  resisted.  Would  it  not 
be  well  to  let  Luther  hide  until  the  storm 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  179 

passed  by  ?  But  now  a  great  event  changed 
the  aspect  of  the  world.  Maximilian,  the 
emperor  of  Germany,  died,  and  Frederick, 
according  to  the  Germanic  constitution,  be- 
came administrator  of  the  empire.  From 
that  moment  he  was  relieved  from  fear  of 
nuncios  and  their  plans.  New  interests  in 
the  Roman  court  changed  their  plans  and 
held  back  the  arm  of  Miltitz." 

"  Then  Luther  was  safe !"  said  Paul,  draw- 
ing a  long  breath. 

"  What  new  interests  ?"  asked  Stephen  as 
his  father  laid  down  the  book  and  curiously 
looked  at  little  Paul. 

"  Do  you  like  to  hear  it,  Paul  ?" 
"  Oh  yes,  uncle.  Please  go  on." 
"  You  ask  what  the  new  interests  at  Rome 
were,  Stephen.  I  will  tell  you.  Charles  of 
Austria  was  king  of  Naples;  the  pope  was 
very  anxious  to  prevent  his  having  Max- 
imilian's throne.  He  wanted  Frederick  to 
help  him,  so  he  resolved  to  give  Luther  rest 
for  a  time.  Political  troubles  in  different 
places  drew  attention  from  the  great  Re- 
former, and  the  leading  men  of  the  age  found 
enough  to  do  without  persecuting  Luther. 


180  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Meanwhile,  under  shelter  of  Frederick,  now 
vicar  of  the  emperor,  the  gospel  spread 
abroad,  and  the  power  of  the  pope  was 
greatly  damaged. 

"  And  what  became  of  Miltitz  ?"  asked 
Maggie. 

"  He  reached  Saxony  before  Maximilian 
died,  and  hurried  to  Spalatin,  who  was  once 
his  friend.  But  as  soon  as  he  began  to  open 
his  charges  against  Luther,  Spalatin  broke 
out  in  complaint  against  Tetzel.  He  told 
Miltitz  all  Tetzel's  falsehoods  and  blasphe- 
mies, and  declared  that  all  Germany  believed 
that  Tetzel's  proceedings  had  caused  all  the 
strife  that  distracted  the  Church.  Miltitz 
was  astonished ;  instead  of  accuser,  he  found 
himself  in  the  place  of  one  accused.  His 
wrath  was  kindled  against  Tetzel,  and  he 
ordered  him  to  appear  and  give  an  account 
of  himself.  Tetzel — the  coward ! — began  to 
tremble ;  he  had  already  hidden  himself 
away  from  the  indignation  of  the  people. 
He  turned  pale  when  he  received  Miltitz's 
letter,  and  felt  that  Rome  had  abandoned 
him.  He  refused  to  come :  '  I  would  not 
shrink  from  the  fatigue  of  the  journey  if  I 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  181 

could  leave  Leipsic  without  risking  my  life, 
but  Martin  Luther  has  so  roused  and  excited 
powerful  chiefs  against  me  that  I  am  nowhere 
safe.  A  great  number  of  his  partisans  have 
bound  themselves  by  oath  to  put  me  to  death ; 
therefore  I  cannot  come  to  you.' ' 

"  That  was  not  true,  was  it,  father  ?" 

"  No." 

"  What  a  coward  he  was,  compared  with 
Luther !"  exclaimed  Josie.  "  Was  Tetzel 
hidden  in  Leipsic?" 

"  Yes ;  he  was  living  in  the  college  of  St. 
Paul.  The  next  thing  Miltitz  tried  was  an 
interview  with  Luther.  When  he  sent  for 
Luther,  there  was  no  delay  or  hesitation  on 
Luther's  part ;  and  they  met  at  the  house  of 
Spalatin.  Miltitz  talked  very  gently  and 
sweetly :  '  Dear  Martin,'  he  called  him. 
'  Even  if  I  were  backed  by  an  army  of 
twenty-five  thousand  men,'  he  said,  '  I  truly 
would  not  undertake  to  kidnap  and  carry 
you  to  Rome,'  and  then  he  tried  to  persuade 
him  to  retract.  He  expressed  high  esteem  for 
Luther,  and  great  indignation  against  Tetzel." 

"How  did  Luther  act?"  questioned  Josie. 

"  Luther    replied    calmly    and    earnestly. 


182  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

He  boldly  complained  of  the  unworthy  man- 
ner in  which  the  Roman  court  had  treated 
him,  notwithstanding  the  purity  of  his  mo- 
tives. Miltitz  was  again  astonished :  he  had 
not  expected  that.  Luther  offered  to  keep 
silence  if  his  enemies  would  do  the  same; 
but  if  they  continued  their  attacks,  he  pre- 
dicted a  serious  struggle.  '  My  weapons  are 
ready  prepared,'  he  said.  He  went  farther 
than  this ;  he  said,  '  I  will  write  to  His  Holi- 
ness acknowledging  that  I  have  been  a  little 
too  violent,  and  declare  that  it  is  as  a  faithful 
son  of  the  Church  that  I  have  opposed  a 
style  of  preaching  which  drew  upon  it  the 
mockeries  and  insults  of  the  people.  I  will 
even  consent  to  a  writing  wherein  I  will  de- 
sire all  who  shall  read  my  works  not  to  see 
in  them  any  attack  on  the  Church  of  Rome, 
and  to  continue  in  submission  to  its  author- 
ity. Yes,  I  am  willing  to  do  everything  and 
bear  everything;  but,  as  to  a  retraction,  do 
not  expect  it  from  me.' 

"  Miltitz  saw  by  Luther's  manner  that  the 
best  course  was  to  seem  satisfied  with  what 
the  Reformer  was  willing  to  promise.  He 
only  proposed  an  archbishop  as  arbitrator 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  183 

on  some  points  he  wanted  to  discuss.  'Be  it 
so,'  said  Luther ;  '  but  I  much  fear  that  the 
pope  will  not  accept  of  any  judge.  If  so,  I 
will  not  abide  by  the  pope's  decision;  and 
then  the  dispute  will  begin  again.  The  pope 
will  give  us  the  text,  and  I  will  make  my 
own  commentary  on  it.' 

"  At  a  second  interview  a  peace-paper  was 
signed.  The  pope  was  to  appoint  an  enlight- 
ened bishop  to  point  out  the  errors  which 
Luther  was  to  retract;  and  if  it  could  be 
proved  he  was  in  error,  Luther  said  he  would 
gladly  retract  and  would  nevermore  do  any- 
thing to  lessen  the  honor  and  authority  of 
the  holy  Roman  Church. 

"  Miltitz  was  overjoyed.  '  For  a  century,' 
he  said,  *  no  question  has  caused  more  anxiety 
to  the  cardinals  and  the  court  of  Rome. 
They  would  have  given  ten  thousand  ducats 
rather  than  see  it  prolonged.'  He  laughed 
and  wept  by  turns,  and  even  kissed  Luther, 
who  was  not  at  all  deceived ;  for  he  called 
his  tears  '  crocodile  tears '  and  his  kiss  *  a 
Judas  kiss.'  He  invited  Luther  to  a  supper, 
which  invitation  was  accepted,  and  the  re- 
past was  quite  joyous. 


184  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  To  all  appearance,  the  struggle  was  near- 
ly over.  Rome  had  opened  her  arms,  and 
the  Reformer  had  cast  himself  into  them. 
But  the  kisses  of  a  man  could  not  stop  God's 
work. 

"  After  Charles  Miltitz  and  Martin  Luther 
had  supped  together,  Miltitz  hurried  to  Leip- 
sic  to  vent  his  wrath  upon  Tetzel.  He  over- 
whelmed him  with  reproaches,  accused  him 
of  being  the  cause  of  all  the  evil  and  threat- 
ened him  with  the  pope's  anger.  He  ac- 
cused Tetzel  of  having  squandered  or  ap- 
propriated to  his  own  use  considerable  sums 
of  money." 

"  So  he  did,"  exclaimed  Charlie. 

"  Luther  seems  to  have  been  the  only  per- 
son who  had  any  pity  for  Tetzel  in  his 
humiliation.  It  was  not  the  man,  but  his 
actions,  that  he  had  hated.  When  Rome 
poured  reproaches  upon  him,  Luther  wrote 
him  a  letter  of  consolation.  But  Tetzel, 
haunted  by  the  remorse  of  conscience, 
alarmed  by  the  reproaches  of  his  dearest 
friends  and  dreading  the  anger  of  the  pope, 
rapidly  failed  in  health,  and  soon  miserably 
died. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  185 

"  Luther  kept  his  promise  made  to  MiltitZo 
He  wrote  to  the  pope ;  he  declared  that  he 
had  never  sought,  nor  would  he  ever  seek, 
to  weaken  the  power  of  the  Roman  Church, 
nor  of  the  pope." 

"  Why,  father !  How  could  he  say  that  ?" 
questioned  Stephen. 

"  You  must  remember,"  said  Mr.  Arnold, 
"that  the  light  gradually  broke  upon  Lu- 
ther. And  the  Reformation  was  not  a  mere 
opposition  to  the  papacy ;  the  grand  truths 
preached  by  the  Reformers — Christ,  the 
Lord,  over  all  and  above  all — certainly  over- 
threw the  doctrine  of  the  pope's  supremacy, 
but  that  was  a  result  not  to  be  avoided.  The 
truth  must  be  proclaimed,  no  matter  what 
might  follow;  and  the  Reformers  did  not 
see  the  end  from  the  beginning.  Doubt- 
less they  hoped  to  reform  the  Church  and 
remain  its  faithful  followers." 

"  What  did  the  pope  say  to  Luther's  let- 
ter?" asked  Josie. 

"  He  did  not  pay  any  attention  to  it ;  he 
was  just  then  too  busy  with  political  affairs. 
Meanwhile,  Luther  was  growing  wiser  in 
regard  to  the  pope.  About  this  time  he 


186  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

wrote :  '  I  know  not  whether  the  pope  is 
Antichrist  himself,  or  whether  he  is  his 
apostle ;  so  misrepresented,  and  even  cruci- 
fied, does  Christ  appear  in  them ' — that  is, 
in  the  popes.  But  the  worse  he  found  things 
going  in  the  Church,  the  more  need  he  felt 
for  continuing  in  it ;  '  for  it  is  not  by  sep- 
aration,' he  said,  '  that  we  can  make  it  bet- 
ter. On  the  contrary,  the  worse  things  are 
going,  the  more  we  should  hold  close  to  it.' 
So  it  was  not  Luther  who  separated  himself 
from  Rome,  but  Rome  that  separated  her- 
self from  Luther.  It  was  not  Luther,  but 
the  doctrines  he  proclaimed,  which  weak- 
ened the  power  of  the  tyrant  pope.  To 
show  you  how  gradually  Luther's  mind  was 
enlightened,  let  me  tell  you  that  several 
years  after  he  began  to  preach  against  in- 
dulgences (1517)  we  find  him  tolerating 
prayer  to  the  saints,  and  even  addressing 
his  own  prayers  to  the  Virgin." 

The  children  were  much  surprised  at  this. 

"  I  read,"  said  Stephen,  "  of  a  vision  of 
St.  Francis  in  which  he  saw  two  ladders 
reaching  to  heaven.  At  the  top  of  one  sat 
Jesus,  and  at  the  top  of  another — a  white 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  187 

one — Mary,  his  mother.  He  observed  that 
many  who  tried  to  ascend  the  ladder  at  the 
top  of  which  Christ  sat  failed;  but  when 
they  attempted  the  white  ladder,  they  suc- 
ceeded, because  Mary  held  forth  her  hand 
to  save  them." 

"  Does  not  that  teach  that  Mary  takes  the 
place  of  the  Saviour,  and  that  through  her 
intercession,  not  the  Redeemer's,  men  can  be 
saved?"  questioned  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  It  certainly  does,"  answered  Mr.  Arnold. 
"  In  Archbishop  Hughes's  journal  he  writes : 
'At  waking  and  at  going  to  sleep  the  first 
and  last  breath  should  be  filled  with  "Ave, 
Maria !"  That  is  an  address  or  prayer  to 
the  Virgin." 

"Speaking  about  prayers  to  saints  and 
the  Virgin,"  said  Stephen,  "  I  must  tell  you 
something.  Once,  in  Tuscany,  when  the 
people  had  for  several  years  lost  much 
through  the  vine-disease  spreading  in  their 
vineyards,  the  archbishop  of  Florence  com- 
posed a  collection  of  eighty-five  prayers  ad- 
dressed to  Noah.  It  says  the  book  has  a 
picture  of  Noah  presiding  at  operations  of 
the  vintage  and  contains  the  archbishop's 


188  MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

counsel  allowing  forty  days'  indulgence  to 
those  who  devoutly  recite  these  prayers." 

"  I  think  archbishops  don't  know  much," 
said  Maggie,  very  soberly. 

"  The  archbishop  of  Bologna  did  not  know 
much,"  said  Stephen,  "  for  he  denounced 
D'Augbine's  History  of  the  Reformation 
and  warned  the  faithful  against  reading  it." 

"  That's  just  the  time  I'd  want  to  read  it," 
said  Charlie. 

"  When  it  was  forbidden  ?"  asked  Josie. 

"  Yes,  I  would !"  exclaimed  Charlie. 

"  Was  it  translated  into  Italian,  father  ?" 
asked  Stephen. 

"  Oh  yes,  and  it  was  carried  around  the 
country  by  colporteurs,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  I  wouldn't  want  to  read  all  those  thir- 
teen volumes,  even  if  they  were  forbidden," 
said  Maggie,  glancing  at  the  bookcase. 

"  But  you  like  hearing  uncle  talk  about 
them,  don't  you  ?"  asked  Paul. 

"  Yes,  Paul,  I  like  that." 

"  Even  if  you  do  get  sleepy,"  remarked 
Josie. 

"  Well,  I  did  last  time,  because  it  lasted 
so  long,"  said  Maggie. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  189 

"I  have  seen,"  said  Mr.  Arnold,  "a  history 
of  the  Reformation  in  England  and  Ireland. 
By  its  title-page  it  professes  to  show  'how 
that  event  has  impoverished  the  main  body 
of  the  people  in  those  countries/  and  it  gives 
a  list  of  the  abbeys,  priories,  nunneries, 
hospitals,  and  other  religious  foundations  in 
England  and  Wales  and  Ireland,  confiscated, 
seized  on  or  alienated  by  the  Protestant  'Ref- 
ormation' sovereigns  and  parliaments.  The 
book  is  addressed  to  all  sensible  and  just 
Englishmen.  In  the  introduction  its  author 
— William  Cobbett,  member  of  Parliament — 
says  he  trusts  he  has  most  clearly  shown  that 
that  event  has  impoverished  and  degraded 
the  main  body  of  the  people.  The  chief 
motives  of  the  Reformation,  he  says,  were 
motives  of  plunder." 

"  He  must  have  been  a  strong  Romanist," 
said  Josie. 

"He  called  himself  a  Protestant  of  the 
Church  of  England,  and  said  he  wrote  from 
a  sense  of  justice  toward  our  calumniated 
Catholic  forefathers.  He  seemed  to  think 
Englishmen  owed  to  these  Catholic  fore- 
fathers all  their  best  institutions." 


190  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  He  was  a  Romanist  of  the  worst  kind,  I 
am  sure,"  exclaimed  Stephen,  speaking  with 
so  much  emphasis  that  he  aroused  Maggie, 
who  was  just  beginning  to  nod. 

In  excusing  herself,  Maggie  said  they  were 
talking  about  such  dry  things. 

"  I'll  wake  you  up,"  said  Stephen.  "  What 
do  you  think  of  a  picture  of  the  Virgin  that 
opens  and  shuts  its  eyes  ?" 

"Oh,  Stephen!  It  couldn't  do  that,"  said 
Maggie. 

"  No  one  would  believe  that,"  said  Charlie. 

"  Some  people  did  believe  it ;  one  bishop 
fainted  before  it." 

"It  frightened  him,  I  suppose,"  said  Paul. 

"What  else,  Stephen?" 

"  The  Virgin  Mary  appeared  to  two  shep- 
herd-boys," said  Stephen. 

"  Those  things  are  all  the  time  happening 
among  the  ignorant  peasants,"  remarked  Mr. 
Arnold. 

"  But,  father,  I  read  something  good  about 
the  infallibility  of  the  Romish  Church;  it 
came  from  a  Canada  newspaper.  It  said 
Galileo  was  twice  denounced  in  the  Inquisi- 
tion for  what  he  believed  about  the  motion 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  191 

of  the  earth  and  sun.  He  was  imprisoned 
and  punished  in  a  queer  way,  I  think." 

"  How  ?"  asked  Maggie. 

"  He  had  to  recite  the  seven  penitential 
psalms  once  a  week  for  three  years." 

"  I  don't  think  that  was  very  hard,"  said 
Paul.  "But,  Stephen,  I  don't  understand 
about  Galileo." 

"He  was  an  astronomer,  and  he  taught 
that  the  earth  goes  round  the  sun." 

"  Does  it,  Stephen  ?" 

"  Why,  yes,  Paul ;  of  course  it  does. 
Galileo  found  it  out  before  the  rest,  and  they 
would  not  believe  it,  but  insisted  that  the 
earth  stands  still  and  the  sun  moves  from 
east  to  west.  Now,  when  everybody  knows 
that  Galileo  was  right,  what  is  the  Church 
of  Rome  to  do?  They  pretend  they  make 
no  mistakes;  the  Canada  paper  asks  what 
kind  of  astronomy  do  they  teach  in  their 
schools.  And  this  is  the  way  they  try  to 
get  out  of  it :  they  say  now  he  was  not  per- 
secuted because  he  held  these  views,  but  be- 
cause he  tried  to  prove  them  by  the  Bible." 

"  The  idea  of  persecuting  people  just  be- 
cause they  think  something  about  the  sun 


192  MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

and  the  earth !"  exclaimed  Maggie.  "  And 
you  say  that  he  was  right  all  the  time, 
Stephen?" 

"Of  course  he  was,"  replied  Stephen. — 
"  Mother,"  said  he,  suddenly  turning  to  her, 
"  I  found  pictures  of  the  Reformers  in  those 
magazines." 

"  Get  them,  please,  Stephen,"  said  Paul. 

"  Yes,  do,"  echoed  Maggie. 

Stephen  brought  them.  Martin  Luther's 
was  the  first  picture  in  the  volume  Stephen 
showed  them.  His  picture  was  familiar  to 
them  all.  Ulric  Zwingle's  interested  them 
more,  because  they  had  never  before  seen  his 
picture. 

"  He  died  in  battle,"  remarked  Josie  as 
she  looked  at  him. 

"  Yes,  in  the  contest  between  the  canton 
of  Zurich  and  some  of  the  Catholic  cantons," 
said  Mr.  Arnold.  "  It  was  the  error  of  his 
times  to  believe  that  truth  might  be  defended 
with  the  sword." 

"That  error  cost  him  his  life,"  remarked 
Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Wasn't  he  a  good  man  ?"  asked  Maggie, 
in  some  surprise. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  193 

"Oh  yes,  Maggie,  but  I  think  he  made  a 
mistake  here." 

"  Look  here !"  exclaimed  Charlie ;  "  here 
is  the  pope  himself.  He's  a  pleasant-look- 
ing man." 

"So  he  is,"  gravely  remarked  Paul ;  "but 
I  don't  like  popes." 

"  D'Aubigne  says  he  was  mild  and  good- 
natured,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

And  now,  as  they  turned  the  pages,  look- 
ing for  the  next  picture,  they  came  to  some- 
thing printed  in  very  large  letters ;  and  this 
is  what  met  their  astonished  eyes :  "A  letter 
written  by  God  himself,  and  which  was 
handed  down  at  Magdeburg."  In  smaller 
letters  that  followed  they  read :  "  It  was 
written  in  golden  letters,  and  sent  from  God 
himself  by  an  angel.  Whoever  wishes  to 
copy  it,  to  him  it  shall  be  given ;  whoever 
despises  it,  from  him  will  the  Lord  depart." 

"  Do  they  mean  the  Bible  ?"  asked  Paul. 

"I  guess  not,"  replied  Stephen.  "Let 
me  read  what  it  says ;"  and  he  read  :  "  '  Who- 
ever labors  on  Sunday  is  cursed ;  therefore 
I  command  that  ye  labor  not  on  Sunday, 
but  devoutly  go  to  church.  But  not  to 

13 


194  ME.  AENOLD'S  STORIES. 

decorate  your  faces ;  ye  shall  not  wear  false 
hair,  nor  be  proud  of  your  riches ;  ye  shall 
give  to  the  poor  liberally,  and  believe  that 
this  letter  is  written  by  my  own  hand  and 
sent  down  by  Christ  himself,  and  that  ye 
do  not  as  the  irrational  beasts.  Ye  have  six 
days  in  the  week,  but  the  seventh  (namely, 
Sunday)  ye  shall  sanctify.  If  ye  will  not 
do  this,  I  will  send  war,  famine,  pestilence 
and  scarcity  among  you,  and  punish  you 
with  many  plagues.  So  I  also  command 
you,  every  one  of  you,  whoever  he  may  be, 
young  and  old,  small  and  great,  that  ye 
never  work  late  on  Saturday,  but  ye  shall 
repent  of  your  sins,  that  they  may  be  for- 
given unto  you.  Nor  desire  silver  and  gold ; 
gratify  not  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  and  its  de- 
sires. Remember  that  I  made  you,  and  that 
I  can  destroy  you.  Be  not  rejoiced  if  your 
neighbor  be  poor;  much  more  have  com- 
passion on  him,  so  it  shall  be  well  unto 
you.'" 

"  That  sounds  well,"  said  Josie. 

"  It  doesn't  sound  well  to  say  God  wrote 
the  letter,  and  an  angel  brought  it  down, 
when  he  didn't,"  cried  Charlie. 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  195 

"Oh  no;  I  know  that. — But  what  else 
does  it  say,  Stephen?" 

Stephen  read : 

" '  Ye  children,  honor  father  and  mother, 
so  it  shall  be  well  with  you  on  earth ;  who- 
ever does  not  do  this  is  damned.  I,  Jesus, 
have  written  this  with  my  own  hand.  Who- 
ever contradicts  and  blasphemes  it  shall  have 
no  help  to  expect  from  me ;  whoever  has  the 
letter  and  does  not  reveal  it,  he  is  cursed 
from  the  Christian  Church ;  and  if  your 
sins  be  ever  so  great,  they  shall  be  forgiven 
if  ye  exercise  repentance  and  sorrow.  Who- 
ever does  not  believe  it  shall  die  and  be  tor- 
mented in  hell,  and  I  too  shall  inquire  at 
the  last  day  after  your  sins,  when  ye  must 
answer  me.  And  that  person  who  carries 
the  letter  with  him,  or  keeps  it  in  his  house, 
shall  not  be  injured  by  any  thunder-gust; 
he  shall  be  secure  from  fire  and  water ;  and 
whoever  shall  reveal  it  before  the  children 
of  men  shall  have  his  reward  and  obtain  a 
blessed  departure  from  this  world.  Keep 
my  commandment,  which  I  have  sent  to 
you  through  my  angel.  I,  true  God  of  the 
throne  of  heaven,  Son.  of  God  and  of  Mary. 


196  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Amen.  This  is  written  at  Magdeburg  in 
the  year  1783.' " 

Expressions  of  astonishment  and  disgust 
were  freely  uttered  by  the  children. 

Josie  at  length  said, 

"That  was  a  good  while  ago— 1783." 

"Yes,  but  you  see  what  it  says  here;" 
and  Stephen  read :  "  'A  friend  has  just  sent 
us  a  large  and  handsomely-printed  German 
handbill  issued  at  Philadelphia  for  the  Ger- 
mans living  there.'  That  was  not  so  long 
ago.  You  see,  the  old  original  lie,  after 
nearly  seventy  years,  was  reprinted." 

Afterward  the  children  looked  at  and 
talked  about  the  other  pictures  until  time 
came  to  say  "  Good-night,"  and  to  be  off 
to  bed. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

J)E.  ECK  AND  L  UTHER. 

THE  next  Sabbath  evening  Mr.  Arnold 
read  from  the  history  how  rapidly 
Luther's  writings  were  circulating  in  differ- 
ent countries,  giving  the  truth  to  many  who 
joyfully  received  it.  Thus  the  Reformation- 
seed  was  sown  in  Holland,  France,  Spain, 
Italy,  England  and  Switzerland. 

"Will  you  tell  us  about  all  these  coun- 
tries?" inquired  little  Paul,  eagerly. 

"Yes,  some  time,"  answered  his  uncle — 
"  all  these,  and  Denmark,  Sweden  and  Nor- 
way too.  You  don't  forget  about  Grandma 
Morris's  bundle  ?" 

Oh  no ;  none  of  them  had  forgotten  the 
bundle.  They  were  growing  more  and  more 
interested. 

"And  were  Luther's  writings  really  the 
beginning  of  the  Reformation  in  all  these 
countries?"  asked  Josie. 

197 


198  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"They  didn't  all  get  reformed,  did  they, 
father?"  asked  Stephen. 

"  No ;  they  did  not.  In  Switzerland  the 
gospel  had  been  preached,  but  that  was  the 
only  country  where  the  truth  was  proclaimed 
in  advance  of  Luther's  writings.  I  want 
now  to  tell  you  about  the  famous  Dr.  Eck, 
who  had  entered  into  dispute  with  Luther. 
He  had  won  prizes  in  eight  universities  of 
Hungary,  Lombardy  and  Germany.  He 
tried  his  skill  in  argument,  for  he  delighted 
in  argument,  and  he  expected  in  this  way 
speedily  to  extinguish  'the  obscure  monk,' 
as  he  called  Luther.  Once  Luther's  friend, 
he  now  became  his  great  enemy.  He  called 
Luther  forth  to  a  great  battle  of  words,  and 
so  the  truce  of  peace  was  broken  by  Rome 
herself,  speaking  through  her  great  cham- 
pion, the  famous  Dr.  Eck.  Rome  invited 
the  conflict." 

"And  the  Lord  nerved  Luther's  arm  to 
strike  very  hard,"  remarked  Mrs.  Arnold. 
"  Luther  very  unwillingly  entered  into  this 
controversy.  '  God  knows,'  he  wrote,  '  that 
it  was  my  fixed  purpose  to  keep  silence,  but 
now  Dr.  Eck  attacks  me ;  and  not  me  only, 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  199 

but  the  whole  University  of  Wittemberg. 
I  cannot  allow  the  truth  to  be  thus  loaded 
with  opprobrium.'  Though  unwilling,  Lu- 
ther was  courageous,  and,  once  in  the  are- 
na, fought  boldly.  His  friends  were  alarmed, 
especially  when  the  first  subject  under  debate 
was  the  pope's  primacy.  How  can  the  poor 
monk  of  Wittemberg  dare  to  stand  up  against 
the  giant  who  for  ages  has  crushed  all  his 
enemies?  The  courtiers  of  the  elector  were 
alarmed.  Spalatin,  Frederick's  confidant 
and  the  intimate  friend  of  Luther,  was  filled 
with  apprehensions.  Frederick  himself  was 
not  at  ease ;  even  the  sword  of  the  knight 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  with  which  he  had 
been  invested  at  Jerusalem,  would  not  avail 
him  in  this  struggle.  Luther  alone  was  un- 
moved. 'The  Lord,'  thought  he,  'will  de- 
liver him  into  my  hand.'  His  own  faith 
furnished  him  with  encouragement  for  his 
friends." 

Mr.  Arnold  ceased  speaking,  and  Stephen 
said, 

"  Who  got  the  best  of  the  dispute  ?" 
"Why,    Luther,   of    course,"    exclaimed 
Maggie,  with  great  earnestness. 


200  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

All  laughed  at  Maggie,  except  her  father ; 
and  Charlie  said, 

"  Much  you  know  about  it." 

"  Luther  did  get  the  best  of  it,  of  course," 
said  Mr.  Arnold,  "  for  he  had  God  and  the 
truth  on  his  side.  Dr.  Eck  confessed  to  his 
friends  that  he  had  been  defeated  on  many 
points,  but  he  gave  good  reasons  for  it.  '  The 
Wittemberg  divines,'  he  said,  '  have  had  the 
best  of  it — first,  because  they  brought  with 
them  their  books;  secondly,  because  their 
friends  took  notes  of  the  discussion,  which 
notes  they  could  examine  at  home  at  leisure ; 
and  thirdly,  because  they  were  several  in 
number.' ' 

"Then  Luther  was  not  alone?"  said  Josie. 

"  No ;  neither  was  Eck  alone,"  said  Mr. 
Arnold. — "  The  discussion  lasted  about  twenty 
days,  and  was  listened  to  by  many  distin- 
guished persons.  Some  who  listened  went 
home  convinced  of  the  truth;  among  them 
was  Poliander,  Eck's  secretary,  who  afterward 
preached  the  gospel  at  Leipsic.  I  do  not 
know  whether  I  told  you  that  this  dispute 
was  held  at  Leipsic.  While  Dr.  Eck  con- 
fessed to  his  friends  that  in  some  points  he 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  201 

had  been  defeated,  he  made  loud  boasts  in 
public  of  victory.  He  circulated  slanders 
against  Luther;  he  tried  to  inflame  the 
elector  Frederick  against  him.  The  monks 
and  all  the  partisans  of  Eome  re-echoed 
these  clamors.  From  all  parts  of  Germany 
reproaches  were  showered  upon  Luther ;  but 
he  remained  unmoved.  'The  more  reproach 
is  heaped  upon  me,'  he  said,  'the  more  I 
glory  in  it.  Truth — that  is  to  say,  Christ — 
must  increase,  while  I  must  decrease.  It  is 
not  men  that  are  opposing  me,  and  I  have 
no  enmity  against  them ;  it  is  Satan,  the 
prince  of  evil,  who  is  laboring  to  intimidate 
me.  But  He  who  is  in  us  is  greater  than  he 
who  is  in  the  world.'  " 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE   PAPAL    B  ULL. 

"  T  AM  going  to  tell  you  to-night  about  the 
J-  contest  for  Maximilian's  crown.  Three 
kings  contended  for  it.  The  first  claimant 
was  Charles,  his  grandson,  who  was  only 
nineteen  years  of  age.  Already  he  had 
received  Flanders  and  the  rich  territories 
of  Burgundy  from  his  grandmother,  Mary, 
daughter  of  Charles  the  Bold ;  and  from  his 
mother,  Joanna,  daughter  of  Ferdinand  of 
Aragon  and  Isabella  of  Castile,  and  wife 
of  Philip,  son  of  Maximilian,  he  had  re- 
ceived the  united  crowns  of  Spain,  Naples 
and  Sicily.  The  death  of  Maximilian,  his 
grandfather,  now  placed  him  in  possession 
of  the  hereditary  dominions  of  Austria. 
Yet,  not  satisfied  with  the  sceptres  which  he 
held,  the  young  Charles  put  out  his  hand 
for  more.  Francis  I.  of  France  also  sought 
the  imperial  crown.  His  friends,  who  urged 
him  forward,  pleaded  that  Germany  did  not 

202 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  203 

at  that  time  need  a  young  man  of  nine- 
teen, but  a  prince  who  united  experienced 
judgment  with  great  talent.  And  they 
supported  his  claims  with  a  great  outlay 
of  money,  giving  costly  entertainments,  in 
hopes  of  winning  the  guests  over  to  their 
party.  The  last  claimant  was  Henry  VIII., 
king  of  England,  but  he  shortly  withdrew. 
The  pope  advised  the  electors  to  choose  one 
among  themselves,  and  they  followed  his 
advice  and  laid  the  crown  at  the  feet  of 
Frederick  of  Saxony,  Luther's  friend." 

"  That  was  good  for  Luther,"  said  Charlie. 

"  But  Frederick  refused  to  take  the  offered 
crown,  and  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Charles," 
said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"Was  he  the  great  Charles  V;?"  asked 
Josie. 

"  The  very  same,  Josie. — Luther  had  fore- 
seen that  the  cause  of  the  Reformation  would 
before  long  have  to  be  pleaded  before  the 
emperor.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  him  before 
he  was  crowned,  begging  him  to  receive 
under  the  shadow  of  his  wings  the  cause 
of  eternal  truth.  But  the  young  king  gave 
no  reply.  And  now  the  storm  increased 


204  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

around  Luther.  Some  of  the  universities 
condemned  his  writings,  and  some  priests, 
who  were  angry  with  him,  openly  declared 
that  whosoever  should  kill  Luther  would  be 
without  sin.  '  The  time  is  come,'  said  Lu- 
ther, '  when  men  will  think  they  do  service 
to  Jesus  Christ  in  putting  us  to  death.' 
While  Luther  was  one  day  before  the  mon- 
astery of  the  Augustines  a  stranger  having 
a  pistol  concealed  in  his  sleeve  approached 
and  said  to  him,  'Why  do  you  thus  go 
alone?' — 'I  am  in  the  hands  of  God,'  an- 
swered Luther.  '  He  is  my  strength  and 
shield;  what  can  man  do  unto  me?'  At 
this  reply  the  stranger  turned  pale  and  fled." 
"That  makes  me  think  of  something  I 
read,"  said  Stephen.  "  Let  me  tell  you : 
An  evangelist  in  the  North  of  France  met 
a  man  who  was  a  descendant  of  an  enemy 
of  Luther.  He  told  the  missionary  that  his 
ancestor  in  Saxony  formed  the  design  of  kill- 
ing Luther,  and  laid  wait  for  him  on  the 
road  where  he  knew  Luther  was  to  pass. 
While  waiting,  a  traveler  spoke  to  him  and 
discussed  with  him  the  evangelical  doctrines. 
The  man  was  greatly  surprised  and  touched 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  205 

with  what  he  heard,  as  well  as  to  learn  that 
the  one  who  spoke  to  him  was  Luther  him- 
self. '  Do  you  see  this  weapon  ?'  he  said  to 
the  Reformer.  '  It  was  intended  to  kill  you ;' 
and  he  became  a  Protestant." 

After  a  little  conversation  caused  by  what 
Stephen  had  read  Mr.  Arnold  continued : 

"Already  Staupitz,  Luther's  former  friend 
and  helper,  had  grown  cold  toward  him,  not 
being  able  to  agree  with  him  in  all  his  views. 
'  You  abandon  me/  cried  Luther,  in  great 
grief.  '  I  dreamed  of  you  last  night ;  I 
thought  you  were  taking  leave  of  me,  and 
I  was  weeping  and  sobbing  bitterly,  but  I 
thought  you  put  out  your  hand  to  me  and 
bade  me  be  tranquil,  for  you  would  return 
to  me  again.' ' 

"  That  sounds  more  like  the  gentle  Philip 
Melanchthon,"  remarked  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  But  that  which  was  designed  to  be  the 
crushing  blow  was  a  bull  from  the  pope." 

"  In  what  year  are  we  now  ?"  asked  Mrs. 
Arnold. 

"In  1520.  Dr.  Eck  had  gone  back  to 
Rome  breathing  vengeance.  After  a  good 
deal  of  hard  work  he  succeeded  in  getting 


206  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Leo  to  condemn  and  cut  off  the  heretic  Lu- 
ther, and  he  returned  with  the  papal  bull  in 
his  hands." 

Here  Stephen  gave  a  comical  look  at  Paul 
and  said,  "  The  bull  in  his  hands !"  but  Paul 
answered  soberly : 

"  Yes ;  uncle  told  us  what  that  meant." 

Paul's  interest  never  seemed  to  flag,  though 
he  could  not  understand  all  that  was  read. 

"That  papal  bull  separated  the  Church 
of  Rome  from  the  pure  Church  of  Christ; 
henceforth  the  pure  Church  would  have 
Christ,  and  him  alone,  for  her  Head.  I 
must  tell  you  about  another  brave  Reform- 
er— Ulric  Zwingle.  At  this  time  he  was  a 
humble  priest  in  one  of  the  rude  towns  of 
Switzerland.  He  had  never  met  Luther, 
but  he  was  deeply  affected  at  the  thought 
of  the  danger  that  hung  over  him.  And 
while  the  intimate  friends  of  Dr.  Luther 
were  silent  and  trembling  this  stranger 
formed  the  resolution  to  do  his  utmost  to 
arrest  the  dreaded  bull.  The  secretary  to 
the  pope's  legate  in  Switzerland  was  his 
friend.  Zwingle  labored  to  persuade  him 
to  use  all  his  power  to  deter  the  pope  from 


ME.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  207 

excommunicating  Luther.  He  pointed  out 
the  consequences  of  such  a  severe  blow,  be- 
lieving that  it  would  cause  the  people  of 
Germany  to  rally  around  their  beloved 
teacher,  and  that  they  would  treat  with  con- 
tempt the  pope  and  his  anathemas.  But  even 
at  that  time  the  blow  was  already  struck." 

"What  did  the  bull  say?"  asked  little 
Paul. 

Mr.  Arnold  read : 

"Arise,  O  Lord !  and  remember  the  re- 
proaches wherewith  fools  reproach  thee  all 
day  long.  Arise,  O  Peter !  remember  thy 
holy  Roman  Church,  mother  of  all  the 
churches  and  mistress  of  the  faith.  Arise, 
O  Paul !  for  a  new  Porphyry  is  here  attack- 
ing thy  doctrines  and  the  holy  popes  our 
predecessors." 

Here  Charlie  muttered, 

"  '  Holy  popes ' !" 

"Finally,  arise,  O  assembly  of  all  the 
saints !  holy  Church  of  God  !  and  intercede 
for  us  with  God  almighty  !  The  pope  then 
reviewed  Luther's  sound  doctrine  and  called 
it  scandalous,  pernicious  and  corrupt.  He 
ordered  that  as  soon  as  this  bull  should 


208  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

be  published  the  bishops  should  diligently 
search  for  Luther's  writings,  and  those  in 
which  error  was  found  must  be  publicly  and 
solemnly  burned  in  the  presence  of  the 
clergy  and  the  laity.  'As  to  Martin  him- 
self/ the  pope  continues,  '  what  is  there,  in 
the  name  of  Heaven,  that  we  have  not  done? 
Imitating  the  goodness  of  God  almighty,  we 
are  ready,  notwithstanding,  to  receive  him 
again  into  the  bosom  of  the  Church,  and 
we  allow  him  sixty  days  to  forward  to  us 
his  recantation  in  writing,  attested  by  two 
prelates;  or,  rather — which  would  be  more 
satisfactory — to  present  himself  before  us  in 
Rome,  that  none  may  any  more  doubt  his 
obedience.  In  the  mean  while,  he  must 
from  this  moment  cease  preaching,  teaching 
and  writing,  and  must  commit  his  works  to 
the  flames.  And  if  he  do  not  recant  within 
the  space  of  sixty  days,  we,  by  these  presents, 
sentence  himself  and  his  adherents  as  open 
and  contumacious  heretics.'  The  pope  then 
pronounced  a  long  train  of  excommunica- 
tions, maledictions  and  interdicts  against 
Luther  and  all  his  partisans,  with  orders  to 
seize  their  persons  and  send  them  to  Rome. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  209 

D'Aubigne  says,  '  It  is  easy  to  guess  what 
would  have  become  of  these  generous  con- 
fessors of  the  gospel  in  the  dungeons  of 
Rome.' " 

"What?"  asked  Maggie. 

"  I  could  tell  you  some  stories,  Maggie," 
said  Stephen. 

" I  don't  want  to  hear  them  now"  said 
Maggie ;  "  I  would  like  to  know  if  the  pope's 
bull  did  Luther  any  harm."  . 

"  Not  so  much  harm  as  they  hoped,  Mag- 
gie. It  was  sent  by  the  hands  of  Dr.  Eck, 
and  that  offended  many  Romanists,  who 
thought  it  was  too  great  a  distinction  for  a 
man  who  did  not  hold  any  high  rank  in  the 
Church.  Besides,  as  Dr.  Eck  had  labored 
very  hard  to  persuade  the  pope  to  grant  it, 
it  was  called  '  the  bull  of  Dr.  Eck.'  Swell- 
ing with  pride  the  doctor  came,  but  he  re- 
tired much  humbled  through  the  ridicule  he 
received.  At  the  same  time,  Luther  had 
much  to  fear,  because  for  centuries  Rome 
had  not  uttered  the  sentence  of  condemna- 
tion without  following  it  with  the  stroke  of 
death.  And  there  was  cause  to  believe  that 
the  young  emperor  Charles,  who  had  many 

14 


210  ME.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

reasons  for  cultivating  friendly  relations  with 
the  pope,  would  no  doubt  hasten  to  recom- 
mend himself  by  sacrificing  to  him  an  ob- 
scure monk.  Leo  X.,  the  cardinals  and  all 
the  partisans  of  Koine  exulted,  fancying 
they  saw  their  enemy  at  their  feet.  While 
the  pope's  bull  was  being  prepared  at  Rome, 
Luther  was  planning  to  carry  the  gospel 
into  the  midst  of  the  Italian  states.  He 
wanted  to  send  the  gospel,  by  the  hands  of 
evangelists,  beyond  the  Alps.  But  it  does 
not  seem  that  he  was  able  to  accomplish  this. 
At  home  he  worked  zealously,  and  the  peo- 
ple at  Wittemberg  heard  plain,  earnest  words 
in  regard  to  the  mass,  marriage,  monastic 
vows  and  all  the  errors  that  prevailed.  The 
printing-press  took  the  place  of  evangelists 
and  carried  the  truth  to  distant  lands.  On 
the  23d  of  June,  1520,  he  published  the  cele- 
brated Appeal  to  His  Imperial  Majesty  and 
the  Christian  Nobility  of  the  German  Na- 
tion concerning  the  Reformation  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  on  the  6th  of  October  his 
famous  tract  on  the  Babylonish  Captivity  of 
the  Church,  and  on  the  4th  of  November 
his  work  Against  the  Bull  of  Antichrist" 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  211 

"  Oh,  did  he  so  boldly  call  the  pope  'An- 
tichrist '  ?"  inquired  Stephen. 

"  Yes.  It  was  a  tremendous  discharge  of 
artillery.  At  first  Luther  had  said  the  bull 
was  so  like  Dr.  Eek,  so  full  of  falsehood  and 
error,  that  he  doubted  if  it  had  really  come 
from  the  pope.  '  I  require/  he  said,  '  to  see 
with  my  own  eyes  the  seal  and  the  strings, 
the  very  words  and  signatures,  of  the  bull — 
in  a  word,  everything  that  belongs  to  it ; 
otherwise,  I  will  not  care  one  straw  for  these 
outcries.' ' 

"  But  really  Luther  had  no  doubt  about 
the  bull,"  remarked  Mrs.  Arnold.  "  He 
knew  it  came  from  the  pope." 

"All  Germany  waited  to  see  what  he  would 
do,"  said  Mr.  Arnold,  taking  up  the  book  as 
he  spoke.  Then,  turning  the  pages,  he  gave 
them  extracts  from  these  publications  of  Lu- 
ther's, showing  how  boldly  he  had  spoken : 
"  'It  is  against  the  power  of  hell  that  we  have 
to  contend  in  this  struggle.  We  must  set 
about  the  work,  hoping  nothing  from  the 
strength  of  our  own  arms  and  depending 
humbly  on  the  Lord.  The  Romanists  have 
raised  three  barriers  against  all  reformation. 


212  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

When  the  temporal  power  has  attacked  them, 
they  have  denied  its  authority  and  asserted 
that  the  spiritual  power  was  superior  to  it. 
When  any  one  rebuked  them  out  of  the 
Scripture,  they  have  answered  that  no  one 
but  the  pope  was  able  to  interpret  Script- 
ure.' " 

"  Do  they  say  that  ?"  exclaimed  Josie. 

"  Certainly  they  do  ;  the  pope  can  give  to 
God's  word  just  what  meaning  suits  him," 
answered  Mr.  Arnold. — " '  When  they  have 
been  threatened  with  a  council,  the  reply  has 
been,  '  No  one  but  the  sovereign  pontiff  has 
authority  to  convoke  a  council.'  They  have 
thus  wrested  from  our  hands  the  three  rods 
destined  to  correct  them,  and  have  given  the 
rein  to  all  evil.  But  now  God  help  us  and 
give  us  one  of  those  trumpets  which  over- 
threw the  walls  of  Jericho.  With  the  breath 
of  our  lips  let  us  throw  down  the  paper 
walls  which  the  Romanists  have  built  around 
them,  and  lift  up  the  scourges  which  punish 
the  wicked  by  exposing  the  wiles  and  strat- 
agems of  the  devil. 

"  '  It  is  monstrous  to  see  him  who  is  called 
the  vicar  of  Christ  displaying  a  magnificence 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STOEIES.  213 

unrivaled  by  that  of  any  emperor.  Is  this 
to  resemble  the  poor  and  lowly  Jesus  or  the 
humble  St.  Peter?  "  The  pope,"  say  they,  "  is 
the  lord  of  the  world."  But  Christ,  whose 
vicar  he  boasts  himself  to  be,  said,  "  My 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world."  Ought  the 
power  of  the  vicar  to  go  beyond  that  of  his 
Lord? 

" '  Do  you  know  what  end  the  cardinals 
serve?  I  will  tell  you.  Italy  and  Germany 
have  many  convents,  religious  foundations 
and  benefices  richly  endowed.  By  what 
machinery  may  this  wealth  be  drawn  to 
Home  ?  Cardinals  have  been  created ;  to 
them  these  cloisters  and  prelacies  have  been 
given ;  and  at  this  moment  Italy  is  almost 
deserted,  the  convents  are  destroyed,  the 
bishoprics  devoured,  the  towns  falling  to 
decay,  the  inhabitants  demoralized,  religious 
worship  expiring  and  preaching  abolished. 
And  why  is  all  this  ?  Because,  forsooth,  all 
the  wealth  of  the  churches  must  go  to  Rome. 
The  Turk  himself  would  never  have  so 
ruined  Italy. 

"  'And  now  that  they  have  sucked  the  blood 
of  their  own  nation  they  come  to  Germany. 


214  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

They  begin  softly,  but  let  us  be  on  our  guard, 
or  Germany  will  soon  be  like  Italy.  What! 
shall  we  Germans  endure  these  robberies  and 
extortions  of  the  pope?  Would  that  they 
only  robbed  us  of  our  goods !  but  they  also 
lay  waste  the  churches ;  they  fleece  the  sheep 
of  Christ,  abolish  the  worship  and  silence 
the  word  of  God. 

" '  If  we  hang  thieves  and  cut  off  the  heads 
of  brigands,  let  us  not  suffer  the  avarice  of 
Rome  to  escape,  which  is  the  greatest  of  all 
robbers  and  thieves ;  and  that,  too,  in  the 
name  of  St.  Peter  and  Jesus  Christ.  Who 
can  tolerate  this?  Who  can  keep  silence? 
Has  not  all  the  pope  possesses  been  obtained 
by  robbery?  for  he  has  neither  purchased  it, 
nor  inherited  it  from  St.  Peter,  nor  gained 
it  by  his  labors.  Whence,  then,  does  it  all 
come  ?' 

"  Luther  spoke  quite  earnestly  against  the 
pope's  temporal  power  in  Italy,"  remarked 
Mr.  Arnold,  "  and  against  his  ecclesiastical 
authority  in  Germany.  Hear  this:  'O  pope 
— not  "  most  holy,"  but  most  sinning — may 
God  from  his  throne  on  high  hurl  thy  throne 
ere  long  into  the  bottomless  pit!' 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  215 

"There  was  not  a  corruption  in  the  Church 
of  Rome  that  he  left  unexposed,"  continued 
Mr.  Arnold.  "He  called  the  monks  a  sloth- 
ful crew  who  promise  much  but  do  little. 
He  spoke  against  the  many  festivals  of  the 
Church.  '  Let  them  be  abolished,'  he  said, 
1  and  let  none  be  observed  but  Sunday ;  or 
if  it  is  wished  to  keep  the  great  Christian 
festivals,  let  them  be  celebrated  only  in  the 
morning  and  the  rest  of  the  day  be  regarded 
as  a  working-day.  For,  since  people  do 
nothing  on  feast-days  but  drink,  play,  run 
into  vice  or  waste  their  time  in  idleness, 
there  is  much  more  offence  to  God  on  these 
days  than  on  others.' ' 

"  If  mother  were  here,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold, 
"  she  would  quote  this  scripture :  '  Behold, 
I  have  made  thy  face  strong  against  their 
faces ;  as  an  adamant,  harder  than  flint,  have 
I  made  thy  forehead  :  fear  them  not.'  You 
remember  how  Grandma  Morris  always  had 
a  text  ready  for  every  occasion." 

" '  I  may  have  attacked  many  errors  with 
too  much  vehemence,'  says  Luther,  '  but 
what  can  I  do  ?  Let  the  world  be  offended 
rather  than  God.  They  can  but  take  my 


216  MR  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

life.  Again  and  again  I  have  offered  peace 
to  my  adversaries,  but  God  has  by  their  own 
instruments  compelled  me  continually  to 
uplift  a  louder  and  a  louder  voice  against 
them.'  " 

The  Arnold  children  made  many  com- 
ments as  their  father  read  these  extracts 
from  Luther's  writings,  and  asked  many 
questions  about  convents,  monks,  nuns  and 
the  Romish  festivals. 

Mrs.  Arnold  proposed  that  the  next  Sab- 
bath evening  be  given  up  to  Stephen  to  read 
or  relate  anything  he  could  find  on  these 
topics.  Stephen  looked  very  much  pleased 
at  this  proposal,  and  Mr.  Arnold,  after  ex- 
pressing his  wish  that  this  might  be  done, 
continued  reading : 

"  It  looked  now  as  if  reconciliation  be- 
tween the  pope  and  Luther  were  impossible ; 
yet  Miltitz  was  eagerly  bent  upon  it  for  the 
sake  of  humbling  his  troublesome  rival  Dr. 
Eck.  The  vainglorious  boasting  of  Dr.  Eck 
had  thrown  Miltitz  rather  in  the  shade. 
The  religious  bearing  of  the  question  gave 
him  little  or  no  concern.  Through  his  rep- 
resentations and  entreaties  the  Augustines 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  217 

sent  Staupitz,  the  late  vicar-general,  and 
Link,  his  successor,  to  confer  with  Luther 
and  to  request  him  to  write  a  letter  to  the 
pope.  Miltitz  requested  this  deputation  to 
assure  the  Reformer  that  the  pope  had  never 
laid  any  plots  against  his  person.  Neither 
Luther  nor  the  deputies  entertained  any 
hope  that  anything  would  be  gained  by  writ- 
ing to  the  pope.  But  that  in  itself  was  a 
reason  for  not  refusing  to  comply  with  the 
suggestion.  The  letter  could  be  but  a  mere 
matter  of  form  which  would  make  still  more 
apparent  the  justice  of  Luther's  cause. 

"  Luther  seemed  to  understand  that  pri- 
vate revenge  prompted*  Miltitz,  yet  he  said 
he  would  write.  But  shortly  after  this  he 
heard  of  the  arrival  of  the  papal  bull,  and 
then  he  declared  that  he  would  not  write  to 
the  pope. 

"  Failing  in  that,  Miltitz  requested  a  con- 
ference with  Luther  at  Lichtenberg.  The 
elector  ordered  Luther  to  go  there,  but  his 
friends,  and,  above  all,  the  affectionate  Me- 
la nchthon,  opposed  his  going.  '  What !' 
thought  they ;  '  at  the  moment  of  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  bull  which  enjoins  all  to 


218  MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

seize  Luther  that  he  may  be  taken  to  Rome 
shall  he  accept  a  conference  in  a  secluded 
place  with  the  pope's  nuncio?  Is  it  not 
clear  that,  Dr.  Eck  not  being  able  to  ap- 
proach the  Reformer  because  he  has  made 
his  hatred  too  public,  his  chamberlain  has 
undertaken  to  snare  Luther  in  his  toils?' 

"  These  fears  could  not  restrain  the  doc- 
tor of  Wittemberg.  The  prince  had  com- 
manded, and  he  resolved  to  obey.  '  I  am 
setting  out  for  Lichtenberg:  pray  for  me,' 
shows  that  he  was  not  insensible  to  his  dan- 
ger. His  friends  would  not  desert  him.  In 
the  same  day,  toward  evening,  Luther  en- 
tered Lichtenberg  on  horseback,  surrounded 
by  thirty  horsemen,  amongst  whom  was  Me- 
lanchthon.  About  the  same  time  Miltitz 
arrived,  attended  only  by  four  persons. 

"Again,  at  the  close  of  this  conference, 
Luther  agreed  to  keep  silence  if  his  adver- 
saries would  only  do  the  same.  Miltitz  was 
overjoyed  ;  he  accompanied  Luther  as  far  as 
Wittemberg.  The  Reformer  and  the  papal 
nuncio  entered  the  city  side  by  side,  while 
Dr.  Eck  was  drawing  near  it,  holding  in 
menacing  hands  the  formidable  bull  which 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  219 

it  was  hoped  would  extinguish  the  Refor- 
mation." 

"Did  Luther  write  to  the  pope?"  asked 
Stephen. 

"  Yes.  In  writing  he  expressed  great 
affection  for  Leo,  while,  at  the  same  time, 
he  dealt  heavy  blows.  '  I  tell  you  the  truth 
because  I  wish  you  well,'  he  said.  '  O  Leo, 
my  father,  do  not  listen  to  the  flatterers  who 
tell  you  that  you  are  not  a  mere  man,  but  a 
demigod,  and  that  you  may  rightfully  com- 
mand whatever  you  please.  You  are  the 
servant  of  servants,  and  the  place  where 
you  are  seated  is  of  all  places  the  most 
dangerous  and  the  most  miserable.  Put  no 
faith  in  those  who  exalt  you,  but  rather  in 
those  who  would  humble  you.  I  may  be 
bold  in  presuming  to  teach  so  sublime  a 
majesty,  which  ought  to  instruct  all  men, 
but  I  see  the  dangers  which  surround  you 
at  Rome ;  I  see  you  driven  first  one  way, 
then  another,  on  the  billows  of  a  raging 
sea ;  and  charity  obliges  me  to  warn  you  of 
your  danger  and  urge  you  to  provide  for 
your  safety.' 

"At  the  same  time  Luther  sent  His  Holi- 


220  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

ness  a  little  book  entitled  The  Liberty  of  the 
Christian,  in  which  he  showed  the  power 
of  faith  in  rendering  the  Christian  free,  and 
the  other  side  of  the  truth — that,  although 
free,  he  voluntarily  becomes  a  servant  that 
he  may  act  toward  his  brethren  as  God  has 
acted  toward  himself  by  Jesus  Christ. 

"The  haughty  Dr.  Eck  found  that  Lu- 
ther had  many  friends  among  the  students. 
In  Leipsic  they  posted  placards  in  ten  dif- 
ferent places  ridiculing  and  threatening  Dr. 
Eck.  Taking  the  alarm,  he  sought  refuge 
in  the  convent  of  St.  Paul,  where  Tetzel 
once  hid.  Then  the  students  composed  a 
ballad  upon  him  and  sung  it  in  the  streets. 
Eck  overheard  it.  All  his  courage  vanished, 
and  the  formidable  champion  trembled  in 
every  limb.  Threatening  letters  poured  in 
upon  him.  A  hundred  and  fifty  students 
arrived  from  Wittemberg  loudly  exclaiming 
against  the  papal  envoy.  Eck  retired  un- 
der the  darkness  of  night,  and  hid  himself 
at  Coburg.  Recovering  somewhat,  he  went 
to  Erfurt  and  ordered  the  bull  to  be  pub- 
lished in  that  city,  but  the  students  seized  the 
copies,  tore  them  in  pieces  and  threw  them 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  221 

into  the  river,  saying,  '  Since  it  is  a  bubble ' 
— bulla  means  '  a  bubble ' — '  let  us  see  it  float.' 

"  But  the  blow  was  struck :  Luther  was 
excommunicated,  and  the  gospel  seemed  lost. 

" '  What  is  to  happen  I  do  not  know,'  said 
Luther,  '  nor  do  I  care  to  know,  assured  as 
I  am  that  He  who  sits  on  the  throne  of 
heaven  has  from  all  eternity  foreseen  the 
beginning,  the  progress  and  the  end  of  this 
affair.  Let  the  blow  fall  where  it  may ;  I 
am  without  fear.  Not  so  much  as  a  leaf 
falls  without  the  will  of  our  Father;  how 
much  rather  will  he  care  for  us !  It  is  a 
light  thing  to  die  for  the  word,  since  the 
Word  which  was  made  flesh  hath  himself 
died.  If  we  die  with  him,  we  shall  live 
with  him ;  and,  passing  through  that  which 
he  has  passed  through  before  us,  we  shall  be 
where  he  is  and  dwell  with  him  for  ever.' 

"  Once,  growing  contemptuous,  Luther 
said,  '  I  know  nothing  of  Eck's  movements 
except  that  he  has  arrived  with  a  long 
beard,  a  long  bull  and  a  long  purse ;  but 
I  laugh  at  his  bull.'  Again  he  said,  '  I  de- 
spise it,  and  resist  it  as  impious,  false  and 
in  every  way  worthy  of  Eck.  I  will  treat  it 


222  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

as  a  forgery,  although  I  believe  it  to  be 
genuine.  Already  I  feel  in  my  heart  more 
liberty;  for  now  I  know  that  the  pope  is 
Antichrist,  and  that  his  chair  is  that  of 
Satan  himself.' 

"  Luther  now  appealed  from  the  pope  to  a 
council.  That  in  itself  was  a  crime :  '  I,  Mar- 
tin Luther,  an  Augustine  and  doctor  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures  at  Wittemberg,  on  my  own 
behalf,  and  on  behalf  of  such  as  stand,  or 
shall  stand,  on  my  side,  do  by  this  instru- 
ment appeal  from  His  Holiness  Pope  Leo  to 
a  general  Christian  council  hereafter  to  be 
held.'  This  appeal  contained  a  strong  pro- 
test, and  it  was  circulated  far  and  wide.  On 
the  10th  of  December  a  placard  was  affixed 
to  the  walls  of  the  Wittemberg  university 
inviting  professors  and  students  to  repair  at 
the  hour  of  nine  in  the  morning  to  the  east 
gate,  beside  the  holy  cross.  A  great  num- 
ber of  doctors  and  youths  assembled,  and 
Luther,  putting  himself  at  their  head,  led 
the  procession  to  the  appointed  spot. 

"  Now,  you  know  it  had  long  been  the 
fashion  of  Rome  publicly  to  burn  books  the 
Church  considered  evil.  Luther  tried  the 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  223 

same  plan,  and,  causing'  a  fire  to  be  kindled, 
he  cast  into  it  Romish  works,  and  lastly  the 
pope's  bull.  He  then  with  much  composure 
bent  his  steps  toward  the  city,  and  a  crowd 
of  doctors,  professors  and  students,  with  loud 
expressions  of  applause,  returned  to  Wittem- 
berg  in  his  train.  '  If  they  dare  to  burn  my 
books — of  which  it  is  no  vain  boast  to  say 
that  they  contain  more  of  the  gospel  than 
all  the  pope's  books  put  together — I  may 
with  far  better  reason  burn  theirs,  which 
are  wholly  worthless.' ' 

"  Yet  I  am  surprised  at  his  doing  it,"  said 
Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  D'Aubigne  says,"  answered  Mr.  Arnold, 
"  that  if  Luther  had  commenced  the  Ref- 
ormation by  an  act  like  this,  the  consequences 
might  have  been  deplorable.  Fanaticism 
might  have  been  awakened  by  it,  and  the 
Church  forced  into  a  career  of  disorder  and 
violence.  But  in  the  present  state  of  affairs 
he  thought  the  effect  was  not  ill.  Luther 
thus  accepted  his  excommunication ;  he 
proclaimed  that  between  him  and  the  pope 
there  was  war  even  unto  death. 

"  The  next  morning  after  the  burning,  the 


224  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

hall  of  the  academy  was  more  than  usually 
crowded.  Deep  solemnity  prevailed,  and 
earnest  attention  was  given  as  Dr.  Martin 
proceeded  with  his  lecture.  At  its  close  he 
spoke  about  the  pope,  and  said  to  his  students, 
'  Whosoever  takes  pleasure  in  the  popish  doc- 
trine and  worship  will  be  lost  to  all  eternity 
in  the  world  to  come.'  The  discourse  he 
uttered  at  this  time,  and  the  act  of  burning 
the  papal  writings,  mark  an  important  epoch 
in  the  Reformation.  In  his  heart  Luther 
had  been  alienated  from  the  pope  by  the 
controversy  at  Leipsic,  but  at  the  moment 
when  he  burned  the  bull  he  declared  in  the 
plainest  manner  his  separation  from  the 
Romish  Church.  The  nation  rallied  round 
him ;  on  every  side  the  battle  was  begun. 

"And  now  the  question  was  to  be  decided 
whether  or  not  the  elector  Frederick  would 
oppose  the  papal  bull.  After  the  coronation 
of  Charles  V.  the  elector,  with  other  princes, 
ministers  and  ambassadors,  accompanied  the 
newly-crowned  emperor  to  Cologne.  Among 
the  crowd  of  strangers  at  Cologne  were  the 
pope's  two  nuncios,  Marino  Carraccioli  and 
Hieronymus  Aleander." 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  225 

"  Dear  me !  what  long  names  they  had ! 
I  think  it's  getting  dry.  Won't  you  stop 
reading,  father,  and  tell  it  to  us  instead?" 

Mr.  Arnold  smiled  and  stopped  reading. 
As  he  always  read  in  advance  of  his  listen- 
ers, he  was  able  to  gratify  Maggie.  And, 
indeed,  I  believe  they  all  liked  it  better 
when  father  "  talked  it  off,"  as  Charlie  ex- 
pressed it. 

"  These  tw.o  nuncios  we  will  call  by  their 
last  names — '  Carraccioli '  and  'Aleander.' 
Carraccioli  did  well  enough  for  state  affairs, 
but  Aleander  was  especially  chosen  to  bring 
the  Reformation  to  an  end.  He  was  active 
and  skillful,  zealous  and  a  great  student ;  he 
was  devoted  to  the  pope.  He  seemed  born 
to  be  a  nuncio." 

"  Rome  was  ready  now  to  crush  the  Ref- 
ormation," said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Yes ;  that  is  what  she  expected  to  do," 
answered  Mr.  Arnold.  "The  pope,  through 
this  nuncio,  expected  to  influence  Charles  V., 
and  how  could  those  '  grammarians,'  as  he 
called  the  Reformers,  stand  against  such 
mighty  power?  The  first  and  best  thing 
to  do  is  to  burn  Luther's  writings  publicly 

15 


226  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

in  Cologne,  under  the  new  emperor's  eyes, 
and  also  in  every  part  of  the  empire. 
Charles  readily  gave  his  consent,  so  far  as  his 
dominions  were  concerned.  Solemn  voices 
warned  them  that  the  flames  would  only 
speed  on  the  cause  they  sought  to  destroy, 
for  '  the  doctrine,'  they  said,  '  is  deeply 
graven  in  the  hearts  of  the  German  nation.' 
But  the  nuncio  clung  to  his  fagots  and  said, 
'These  flames  that  we  shall  kindle  are  a  sen- 
tence of  condemnation,  written  in  giant  char- 
acters, conspicuous  far  and  wide — to  the 
learned  and  the  unlearned,  legible  even  to 
such  as  can  read  no  other.'  But,  after  all, 
Luther's  life,  and  not  his  writings,  was  the 
great  aim  of  Aleander.  When  he  proposed 
his  death  to  Charles,  the  emperor  said  he 
would  consult  Frederick  before  he  gave  his 
answer  to  the  pope.  Then  both  nuncios 
turned  their  attention  to  Frederick,  and  tried 
by  fair  speeches  and  compliments  to  gain 
him  over.  'In  Your  Highness,'  said  Car- 
raccioli,  '  are  reposed  all  our  hopes  for  the 
salvation  of  the  Church  and  the  holy  Roman 
empire.'  Just  as  this  speech  flowed  smooth- 
ly from  the  lips  of  the  crafty  Carraccioli  the 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  227 

other  nuncio  stepped  forward  and  said  im- 
petuously, '  It  is  to  myself  and  to  Eck  that 
the  affair  of  Friar  Martin  has  been  entrusted. 
Consider  the  infinite  peril  into  which  this 
man  is  plunging  the  Christian  common- 
wealth. Unless  a  remedy  be  speedily  ap- 
plied, the  fate  of  the  empire  is  sealed.  Why 
has  the  empire  of  the  Greeks  been  destroyed 
but  because  they  fell  away  from  the  pope? 
You  cannot  join  yourself  to  Luther  without 
being  dissevered  from  Christ.' — You  look 
shocked,  Josie,"  said  her  father  as  he  took 
up  the  book.  "  Hear  this:  '  In  the  name  of 
His  Holiness,  I  require  of  you  two  things — 
first,  that  you  cause  Luther's  writings  to  be 
burned ;  secondly,  that  you  inflict  upon  the 
heretic  himself  the  punishment  he  deserves, 
or  else  that  you  deliver  him  up  a  prisoner  to 
the  pope.  The  emperor  and  all  the  princes 
of  the  empire  have  signified  their  willing- 
ness to  accede  to  our  demands ;  you  alone 
demur.' ' 

"What  did  Frederick  say?"  asked  Charlie. 

"What  did  Frederick  dof  I.  would  rather 
know,"  said  Stephen. 

Mr.  Arnold  laid  down  the  book,  and  after 


228  MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

a  moment's  pause  told  them  that  Frederick 
helped  and  protected  Luther. 

"  There  were  many  reasons  to  incline  him 
to  a  different  course.  Against  Luther  were 
arrayed  the  emperor,  the  princes  of  the  em- 
pire and  the  pope;  why  should  Frederick, 
the  oldest  and  the  wisest  prince  of  Germany, 
kindle  discord  in  the  empire?  And  why 
should  he  forfeit  all  the  praises  he  had  earned 
by  his  early  devotion  and  his  long  pilgrim- 
age to  the  sepulchre  of  Christ?  On  the 
other  hand,  Frederick's  nephew,  John  Fred- 
erick, son  of  Duke  John,  pleaded  Luther's 
cause.  He  was  only  seventeen,  but  already 
he  loved  the  truth  and  was  warmly  attached 
to  Luther.  With  dignified  earnestness  he 
besought  his  uncle  to  protect  Luther.  Mean- 
while, Luther,  in  his  cloister  at  Wittemberg, 
thought  only  of  the  peril  of  those  who  con- 
tinued in  their  sins." 

"I  wonder  at  his  courage,"  said  Josie,  with 
tearful  eyes.  "  How  could  he  stand  against 
such  powerful  enemies  ?" 

And  her  mother  quietly  answered: 

"  God  was  with  him." 

"Frederick  too  grew  courageous,  came  out 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  229 

boldly  on  Luther's  side,  and  demanded  that 
Luther  might  be  permitted  to  answer  for 
himself  before  a  tribunal  composed  of  learned, 
pious  and  impartial  judges.  This  was  a 
great  disappointment  to  the  nuncios,  while 
Luther's  friends  were  transported  with  joy." 

"And  what  did  Charles  V.  do?"  asked 
Stephen. 

"Just  at  this  time  he  nattered  both  pope 
and  elector.  The  enthusiasm  of  Luther's 
friends  grew  stronger  day  by  day.  Students 
flocked  to  Wittemberg  regardless  of  the 
plague  that  had  appeared  there.  Five  or 
six  hundred  statedly  assembled  to  listen  to 
the  lectures  of  Luther  and  Melanchthon. 
The  convent  chapel  and  the  city  church 
were  both  too  small  for  the  eager  crowds. 
The  prior  of  the  Augustines  was  in  constant 
alarm  lest  the  buildings  should  give  way 
under  the  weight  of  the  throngs  that  filled 
them.  Nor  was  this  excitement  confined  to 
Wittemberg ;  it  spread  through  all  Ger- 
many." 

"  I  read,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold,  "  of  a  set  of 
prints  published  by  a  celebrated  painter 
called  Lucas  Cranach.  They  were  called 


230  MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

1  Christ's  Passion  and  Antichrist.'  On  one 
side  was  represented  the  glory  and  the  mag- 
nificence of  the  pope;  on  the  other,  the  hu- 
miliation and  the  sufferings  of  the  Redeemer. 
Luther  composed  the  inscriptions  for  these 
pictures.  The  effect  produced  by  them  was 
very  great." 

"Preaching,  lecturing  and  writing,  Luther 
kept  busy  at  his  post.  Three  printing- 
presses  were  constantly  employed  in  multi- 
plying the  copies  of  his  writings.  Brave 
souls  pressed  forward ;  timid  ones  fell  back. 
And  still  the  storm  raged  fiercely.  'Day 
after  day,'  wrote  Luther  to  Frederick,  'the 
waves  are  rolling  higher,  and  on  every  side 
the  ocean  hems  me  in.  Fiercely  indeed  is 
the  tempest  raging,  yet  I  still  grasp  the 
sword  with  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  I 
build  up  the  walls  of  Sion.' ' 

"Did  Luther  stay  all  this  time  in  the  con- 
vent ?"  asked  Josie. 

"Yes,  but  he  was  released  from  the  au- 
thority of  the  order  of  Augustines,  you  re- 
member. And  the  pope's  bull  had  released 
him  from  the  authority  of  Leo  X.  '  I  em- 
brace my  deliverance  with  joy/  he  said." 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

NUNS  AND    CONVENTS. 

QABBATH  evening  Josie  came  to  tea  with 
M  the  New  York  Observer  in  her  hand,  and 
eagerly  began  to  tell  about  a  young  lady  in 
Montreal  who  had  gone  into  a  convent. 
Her  letter  to  her  father  was  very  sad,  and 
Josie  could  hardly  read  it  without  tears : 

"  It  seems  this  young  lady  was  persuaded 
to  enter  the  convent  when  she  was  only 
seventeen  years  old.  She  entered  in  haste, 
to  repent  at  leisure ;  and  for  four  years  she 
and  her  father  have  been  making  the  most 
earnest  efforts  to  secure  her  release.  Her 
health  has  broken  down,  and  it  is  said  that 
she  is  almost  insane  from  the  taunts  of  her 
sister-nuns.  As  she  and  her  father  are 
Romanists,  they  do  not  dare  take  legal  steps 
to  regain  her  freedom.  She  writes  in  the 
calmness  of  deep  despair — says  no  reply  will 
come  from  Rome  for  several  months,  but  she 
is  sure  their  petition  will  be  denied.  She 

231 


232  MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

expresses  her  regret  at  having  been  unable 
to  endure  her  misery  without  disturbing  her 
father,  and  she  begs  him  to  arm  himself 
with  courage  and  patience.  'After  all/  she 
adds,  '  life  is  short ;  and  the  more  merit  we 
amass,  the  better  it  will  be  for  us.  Early 
accustomed  to  suffering  and  having  hardly 
tasted  anything  else,  I  will  not  shrink  from 
further  ennui  and  self-renunciation.  Then 
who  knows  what  the  future  has  in  store  for 
me?'" 

"  She  shows  that  she  is  a  Romanist  when 
she  speaks  of  amassing  merit,"  remarked 
Mrs.  Arnold  when  Josie  ceased  reading. 

"  If  the  father  is  a  Romanist  in  high  offi- 
cial position,"  said  Mr.  Arnold,  who  had 
taken  the  paper  and  was  glancing  over  it, 
"how  must  the  children  of  Protestant  par- 
ents be  treated  in  such  places?" 

Mr.  Arnold  then  asked  Stephen  if  he  had 
found  anything  about  convents.  Stephen 
opened  the  book  he  was  holding  and  said, 

"Here  is  the  report  of  a  missionary  in 
Chili,  South  America.  What  I  want  to  read 
is  an  account  given  him,  he  says,  by  a  most 
worthy  English  family." 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  233 

"  So  we  may  be  sure  it  is  true,"  remarked 
Maggie. 

" '  In  the  convent  of  the  Capuchins,  in 
Santiago,  the  number  of  inmates  is  limited 
to  thirty-two  young  ladies ;  the  admittance- 
fee  is  two  thousand  dollars.  When  the  nun 
enters,  she  is  dressed  like  a  bride,  in  the 
most  costly  material  that  wealth  can  com- 
mand. Before  the  altar  of  consecration  she 
solemnly  vows  to  live  the  nun's  life,  in  the 
deluded  hope  that  her  works  will  merit  a 
brighter  mansion  in  the  realms  above. 

" '  The  form  of  consecration  over,  she  casts 
off  her  rich  veil  and  her  costly  ornaments, 
including  splendid  diamonds,  which  in  many 
instances  have  cost  from  ten  to  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars.  Her  beautiful  hair  is  cut  off, 
to  signify  her  deadness  for  ever  to  the  world, 
and  she  is  clothed  in  coarse  gray  cloth  called 
serge,  in  which  she  is  to  pass  the  miserable 
remnant  of  her  days.  The  dark,  sombre 
walls  of  her  prison  she  can  never  pass ;  its 
iron-bound  doors  are  for  ever  shut  against 
her.  Rarely,  if  ever,  is  she  permitted  to 
speak ;  never,  never  again  can  she  see  her 
friends  or  the  loved  ones  of  home.  If  ever 


234  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

allowed  to  speak  at  all,  it  is  through  iron 
bars,  where  she  cannot  be  seen,  and  in  the 
presence  of  the  abbess,  to  see  that  no  com- 
plaint escapes  from  her  lips. 

" '  Nor  is  this  all.  Besides  being  con- 
demned to  a  meagre,  an  insufficient  and  an 
unwholesome  diet,  which  they  themselves 
must  cook,  they  are  obliged  to  pass  their 
time  in  lonely  cells,  where  they  sleep  in  a 
narrow  place  dug  out  in  the  ground,  in  the 
shape  of  a  coffin,  without  bed  of  any  kind 
except  a  piece  of  coarse  serge  spread  down, 
and  their  daily  dress  is  their  only  covering. 
Even  in  this  wretched  hole  they  are  not  per- 
mitted uninterrupted  sleep,  for  every  hour 
in  the  twenty-four  they  are  aroused  by  the 
bell  to  perform  their  "Ave,  Marias !"  count 
their  rosaries,  and  such  other  blind  devo- 
tions as  may  be  imposed.  Thus  they  drag 
out  a  miserable  existence.' ' 

"  What  are  rosaries  ?"  asked  Maggie. 

"A  series  of  prayers  and  a  string  of  beads 
on  which  to  count  them,"  replied  her  father. 

"  Don't  the  Romanists  get  all  the  money 
and  diamonds  of  those  young  ladies  ?"  asked 
Josie. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  235 

"  If  they  do  not,  who  does  ?"  questioned 
Stephen. 

"  Yes,  this  has  all  been  invented  to  bring 
money  into  the  Church,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"Another  way  of  getting  money,"  said 
Stephen,  "  is  for  the  priests  to  visit  the  rich 
when  they  are  sick  and  dying,  tell  them  how 
wickedly  they  have  lived,  and  urge  them  to 
make  provision  for  as  many  masses  to  be 
said  after  they  are  dead  as  they  should  have 
had  during  their  whole  lifetime." 

"  I  am  glad,"  said  Maggie,  "  that  ours  is 
not  a  Roman  Catholic  country." 

" '  The  infamous  pope  Alexander  VI.  grant- 
ed by  deed  to  Their  Catholic  Majesties  of 
Spain  all  lands  discovered  west  of  the  At- 
lantic, including,  of  course,  the  whole  of 
North  America  and  South  America,' "  read 
Stephen. 

"  Yes,  and  the  pope  gave  the  Virgin  Mary 
to  be  the  patroness  of  our  country,"  said  Mr. 
Arnold.  "  In  1852  the  popish  national 
council  met  in  Baltimore  and  sent  official 
circulars  to  all  Romanists  in  our  land,  tell- 
ing them  that  their  special  mission  must  be 
speedily  to  convert  our  nation.  Popery  has 


236  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

long  directed  its  eager  eye  to  our  immense 
country :  determined  to  possess  it  if  it  pos- 
sibly can." 

At  the  close  of  the  evening,  at  family  wor- 
ship, Mr.  Arnold  earnestly  prayed  that  God 
would  preserve  our  land  from  priestly  power, 
and  that  the  Bible  might  be  studied  and 
honored  by  all.  He  looked  upon  Bible 
study  as  the  great  safeguard  from  error,  and 
told  his  children  that  they  must  do  all  in 
their  power,  all  their  lives  long,  to  spread 
the  blessed  truths  of  God's  holy  word. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

THE  DIET   OF  WORMS. 

"  HHHE  great  event  of  1521  was  the  diet 

J-  of  Worms,"  said  Mr.  Arnold,  the  next 
Sabbath  evening,  taking  up  the  volume  as 
he  spoke.  "  The  diet  was  to  have  convened 
at  Nuremberg,  but  the  plague  was  there ; 
so  at  Worms,  on  the  6th  of  January,  1521, 
the  solemn  assembly  began  its  proceedings." 

"  We  all  know  that  date,"  remarked  Jo- 
sie,  looking  up  to  a  picture  on  the  wall. 

"  Everything  indicated  that  the  diet  would 
be  a  difficult  and  boisterous  one.  How  was 
Charles  to  act,  between  the  nuncio  and  Fred- 
erick ?  You  must  remember  he  was  indebt- 
ed to  Frederick  for  his  crown." 

"  I  had  forgotten  that,"  said  Stephen. 

"  Both  men  were  using  their  influence  with 
him.  The  Spaniards  and  the  Flemings  were 
striving  hard  to  exclude  each  other  from  the 
confidence  of  their  sovereign,  Charles.  The 
elector  saw  how  easily  Charles  might  be  led 

237 


238  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

into  an  alliance  with  the  pope  in  order  to 
forward  his  own  ambitious  plans.  If  he  did, 
Luther  would  be  lost. 

"  Luther  was  far  from  well,  but  this  he 
heeded  not.  '  If  I  cannot  perform  the  jour- 
ney to  Worms  as  a  man  in  good  health,  I 
will  be  carried  thither  in  a  litter ;  for,  since 
the  emperor  has  summoned  me,  I  can  re- 
gard it  only  as  the  call  of  God.  ...  If  it 
be  not  his  will  to  save  me,  my  life  is  little 
worth.  .  .  .  Let  us  only  pray  that  our  young 
emperor  may  not  begin  his  reign  by  im- 
bruing his  hands  in  my  blood;  I  would 
rather  perish  by  the  sword  of  Rome.  You 
remember  the  judgments  with  which  the  em- 
peror Sigismund  was  visited  after  the  mur- 
der of  John  Huss,  Expect  anything  from 
me  but  flight  or  recantation.  Fly  I  cannot; 
still  less  can  I  recant.' 

"This  he  said,  in  a  letter  to  the  elector. 
The  emperor  had  written  to  the  elector  to 
bring  Luther  to  the  diet,  assuring  him  that 
no  injustice  should  be  practiced  against  him, 
that  he  should  be  protected  from  all  vio- 
lence, and  that  a  free  discussion  should  be 
allowed.  The  elector,  feeling  sure  that  the 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  239 

conference  could  do  no  good,  wrote  in  reply 
that  he  begged  to  be  relieved  from  so  dif- 
ficult an  undertaking,  adding  that  it  had 
never  been  his  desire  to  favor  his  doctrines, 
but  only  to  prevent  his  being  condemned 
unheard.  'The  legates/  Frederick  said, 
'without  waiting  for  your  sanction,  took 
measures  which  were  injurious  both  to  Lu- 
ther's honor  and  to  mine,  and  I  have  reason 
to  fear  that  he  has  been  provoked  to  an  act 
of  imprudent  retaliation  which,  in  the  event 
of  his  appearance  at  Worms,  might  place  him 
in  extreme  jeopardy/ — The  elector  meant 
the  burning  of  the  pope's  bull,"  explained 
Mr.  Arnold. — "  Aleander,  the  nuncio,  start- 
ed for  Worms,  but  on  the  way  he  became 
alarmed  for  his  own  safety ;  for  he  every- 
where met  such  strong  feeling  in  Luther's 
favor.  Whenever  he  halted  for  refreshment 
or  repose,  no  one  would  venture  to  receive 
him,  and  the  haughty  nuncio  had  to  go  to 
the  meanest  inns.  Arrived  at  Worms,  he 
did  his  best  to  prevent  Luther's  coming,  and 
succeeded;  for  Charles  yielded  to  Alean- 
der's  earnestness  and  forbade  Luther's  ap- 
pearance at  the  conference. 


240  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"The  emperor  wrote  to  the  elector  that,  as 
the  time  allowed  to  Luther  had  expired,  he 
was  now  in  the  condition  of  a  man  actually 
excommunicated  by  the  pope,  and  conse- 
quently, if  he  would  not  retract  what  he  had 
written,  Frederick  must  leave  him  at  Wit- 
temberg.  But  Frederick  had  already  begun 
his  journey  without  him.  Luther  was  much 
grieved  because  he  was  forbidden  to  go  to 
Worms." 

"  Why,  I  thought  he  did  go  ?"  exclaimed 
Maggie. 

"I  will  tell  you  about  his  journey,  and 
leave  out  all  the  contentions  they  had  before 
he  started." 

"Yes,  do,"  said  Maggie;  "I'm  getting 
tired  of  them." 

Then  her  father  told  her  how  on  the  2d 
of  April,  1521,  Luther  bade  his  friends 
"  Good-bye,"  and  in  a  plain  carriage,  fur- 
nished by  the  town  council,  quitted  Wittem- 
berg. 

"  The  imperial  herald,  in  full  costume  and 
wearing  the  imperial  eagle,  went  before  on 
horseback,  and  was  followed  by  his  servant. 
Some  friends  rode  with  Luther.  The  citi- 


MR.  .ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  241 

zens  of  Wittemberg,  sorrowful  and  in  tears, 
invoked  God's  blessing  upon  his  journey. 

"  Gloomy  presentiments  filled  the  hearts 
of  those  he  met.  A  priest  at  Naumburg 
held  up  before  him  a  portrait  of  Savonarola, 
the  martyr ;  this  was  to  show  Luther  what 
his  end  would  be.  The  priest  said  nothing, 
but  Luther  understood  what  he  meant. 
When  Luther  met  it  with  quiet  courage  and 
spoke  fearlessly,  the  priest  said,  '  Stand  fast 
in  the  truth  thou  hast  professed,  and  thy 
God  will  never  forsake  thee.' 

"At  Weimar,  Luther  heard  the  emperor's 
messenger  proclaiming  his  sentence,  and  saw 
them  everywhere  placarding  the  imperial 
edict  ordering  all  men  to  bring  his  writings 
to  the  magistrates. 

"  '  Well,  doctor,  will  you  go  any  farther  ?' 
asked  the  herald,  in  alarm. 

"  '  Yes/  replied  Luther ;  '  though  I  should 
be  put  under  interdict  in  every  town,  I  will 
go  on.  I  rely  on  the  emperor's  safe-con- 
duct.' " 

"  Then  he  did  give  him  a  safe-conduct  ?" 
said  Stephen. 

"  Yes ;   I  passed  over  that  part  because 

16 


242  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Maggie  was  tired. — Next  they  came  to  Er- 
furth,  the  town  of  his  youth.  As  he  drew 
near,  a  troop  of  horsemen  came  rapidly  to 
meet  him.  Were  they  friends  or  were  they 
foes  ?  The  question  was  speedily  answered : 
they  were  senators,  students  and  citizens, 
headed  by  the  rector  of  the  university. 
They  cheered  Luther  as  he  drew  nigh.  All 
were  eager  to  see  the  monk  who  had  dared 
give  battle  to  the  pope. 

"The  leader  of  the  procession,  Justus 
Jonas,  the  rector,  begged  Luther  to  allow 
him  to  go  with  him ;  Luther  consented. 
This  was  the  first  meeting  of  the  two  doctors 
who  were  destined  to  pass  their  whole  lives 
in  laboring  for  the  revival  of  the  Church. 

"  Justus  Jonas  studied  law  at  Erfurth  and 
was  elected  rector  of  the  university.  He 
was  a  young  man  when  he  met  Luther.  He 
had  received  the  light  of  the  gospel,  and 
wished  to  give  himself  up  to  sacred  learn-, 
ing.  While  yet  a  law-student,  he,  with  a 
few  friends,  had  made  a  journey  on  foot 
through  forests  infested  by  thieves,  and 
across  a  country  ravaged  by  the  plague,  in 
order  to  visit  Erasmus,  who  was  then  at 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  243 

Brussels.  And  shall  he  not  brave  dangers 
of  another  kind  if  he  accompany  the  Re- 
former to  Worms?  He  was  made  provost 
of  the  church  of  Wittemberg  and  doctor  of 
divinity  after  his  return  from  Worms.  As 
a  preacher  he  had  great  power." 

Mr.  Arnold  told  them  how  the  pope 
issued  a  new  bull  against  Luther,  and  the 
excommunication  with  which  he  had  been 
threatened  was  now  decidedly  pronounced 
against  him  and  his  followers : 

"  They  were  all  cursed,  and  were  declared 
to  have  forfeited  for  themselves  and  their 
descendants  all  their  honors  and  worldly 
goods.  Every  faithful  Christian  was  en- 
joined, as  he  valued  his  own  soul,  to  shun 
all  intercourse  with  that  accursed  crew. 

"  In  every  place  where  the  heresy  had 
gained  a  footing  it  was  the  duty  of  the 
priests  on  Sundays  and  holidays,  at  the  hour 
of  high  mass,  solemnly  to  publish  the  sen- 
tence of  excommunication.  The  sacred  ves- 
sels and  ornaments  were  to  be  removed  from 
the  altar;  the  cross  was  to  be  laid  on  the 
ground;  twelve  priests,  holding  torches  in 
their  hands,  were  to  light  them  first,  and 


244  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

immediately  to  dash  them  down  and  extin- 
guish them  by  trampling  them  under  foot ; 
the  bishop  was  then  to  proclaim  the  con- 
demnation of  those  ungodly  men ;  the  bells 
were  to  be  tolled ;  bishop  and  priests  in  con- 
cert were  to  chant  curses  and  maledictions. 
In  conclusion,  a  sermon  of  great  severity  was 
to  be  preached  against  Luther  and  his  ad- 
herents." 

"  I  sometimes  ask  myself,"  said  Mrs.  Ar- 
nold, "  why  Luther  entered  into  this  great 
controversy." 

"And  his  own  words  make  the  best  an- 
swer," said  Mr.  Arnold. 

Taking  up  the  book,  he  found  the  place 
and  read : 

" '  I  call  Christ  to  witness  that  this  is  the 
cause  of  the  German  nation,  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  of  the  Christian  world,  of  God  him- 
self— not  the  cause  of  a  solitary,  humble  in- 
dividual. .  .  .  Not  in  the  spirit  of  reckless- 
ness, nor  for  the  sake  of  worldly  profit,  have 
I  taught  the  doctrine  which  is  laid  to  my 
charge :  I  have  taught  it  in  obedience  to  my 
conscience  and  to  my  oath  as  a  doctor  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  For  God's  glory  have  I 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  245 

taught  it,  for  the  salvation  of  the  Christian 
Church,  for  the  good  of  the  German  people, 
for  the  rooting  out  of  gross  superstitions  and 
grievous  abuses,  the  cure  of  innumerable 
evils,  the  wiping  away  of  foul  disgrace,  the 
overthrow  of  tyranny,  blasphemy  and  im- 
piety in  countless  forms.' ' 

Mr.  Arnold  told  them  about  John  Gla- 
pio,  the  emperor's  confessor,  whose  good-will 
Leo  X.  won  by  favors  in  order  to  gain  over 
the  young  emperor : 

"  Charles  V.  would  have  been  glad  to  sat- 
isfy the  pope  without  offending  Frederick. 
But  how  could  he  do  it? 

"  Feeling  grateful  to  the  pope,  the  con- 
fessor went  to  work  to  help  stifle  the  Ref- 
ormation. Among  the  counselors  of  Fred- 
erick was  a  man  distinguished  for  intelli- 
gence, decision  and  courage;  his  name  was 
Gregory  Bruck,  or  Pontanus.  We  will  call 
him  *  the  chancellor.'  Glapio  went  to  him, 
professing  great  friendliness  for  Luther  and 
admiration  for  his  writings.  The  only  work 
he  condemned  was  The  Babylonian  Captiv- 
ity, and  he  was  willing  to  believe  that  Lu- 
ther would  retract  in  regard  to  that.  He 


246  MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

begged  the  chancellor  to  procure  him  an 
audience  with  Frederick,  but  Frederick  was 
too  busy  with  the  affairs  of  the  august  diet. 
The  diet,  you  know,  was  in  session  many 
days  before  Luther  appeared. 

"  To  prevent  Luther's  coming  was  now  the 
great  aim  of  Glapio,  Aleander  and  all  the  pa- 
pal party.  They  began  to  fear  his  eloquence. 
With  persistent  fury  Aleander,  the  nuncio, 
urged  Luther's  condemnation.  He  went  to 
the  council  and  spoke  with  great  eloquence 
for  three  hours  against '  the  audacious  monk,' 
not  forgetting  '  the  motley  rabble  of  insolent 
grammarians,  licentious  priests,  disorderly 
monks,  ignorant  advocates,  degraded  nobles 
and  misled  and  perverted  plebeians  who  fol- 
lowed him.'  A  strong  feeling  arose  against 
Luther,  who  was  not  present  to  answer  his 
arguments.  The  desire  seemed  uppermost 
to  root  out  the  Lutheran  heresy  from  the 
soil  of  the  empire. 

"  But  this  feeling  soon  changed.  Many 
who  were  willing  enough  to  give  up  Luther 
yet  felt  that  the  pope  ought  to  effect  reforms 
in  the  Church.  The  most  determined  of 
Luther's  enemies,  Duke  George  of  Saxony, 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  247 

spoke  with  great  earnestness  against  the  en- 
croachments of  Rome.  Luther  had  not 
spoken  more  earnestly.  Luther,  however, 
pointed  out  the  cure  for  all  this  evil;  this 
the  duke  failed  to  do." 

Looking  earnestly  at  his  children,  Mr. 
Arnold  said, 

"  The  sinner  receives  the  true  indulgence, 
that  remission  of  sins  which  comes  from  God 
solely  by  faith  in  the  grace  and  merits  of 
Christ.  By  this  truth  Luther  overthrew 
the  traffic  of  the  priests.  '  How  shall  a 
man  become  holy?'  he  said  one  day.  ;A 
Cordelier  will  answer,  "  Put  on  a  gray  hood 
and  tie  a  cord  around  your  middle ;"  a  Ro- 
man will  answer,  "  Hear  mass  and  fast ;"  but 
a  Christian  will  say,  '  Faith  in  Christ — and 
that  alone — justifies  and  saves."  We  must 
have  eternal  life  before  good  works.  But 
when  we  are  born  again  and  made  the  chil- 
dren of  God  by  the  word  of  grace,  then  we 
perform  good  works.' 

"  The  diet  nominated  a  committee  to  draw 
up  a  list  of  grievances.  The  list  was  a  long 
one — one  hundred  and  three  grievances." 

"What  do  you   mean,  father — that  they 


248  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

had  all  these  complaints  to  make  against 
the  Church  of  Rome?" 

"  That  is  just  what  I  do  mean,  Josie,"  re- 
plied her  father. — "  This  list  was  presented 
to  the  emperor,  who  immediately  withdrew 
the  edict  which  commanded  Luther's  writ- 
ings to  be  committed  to  the  flames  in  every 
part  of  the  empire,  and  ordered  instead  that 
all  copies  should  be  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  the  magistrates. 

"  This  did  not  satisfy  the  assembly ;  it  de- 
manded Luther's  appearance,  and  the  nuncio 
could  not  prevent  his  coming.  There  was 
a  long  and  earnest  debate  in  the  diet.  Lu- 
ther's appearance  seemed  the  only  proba- 
ble method  of  settling  the  great  agitation. 
Charles  resolved  to  summon  him  without 
giving  him  a  safe-conduct.  The  friends  of 
Luther  remonstrated,  until  the  emperor  was 
forced  to  yield,  fearing  tumult  or  sudden 
insurrection." 

Mr.  Arnold  then  read  the  safe-conduct 
and  the  summons,  which  was  directed  "  To 
the  worshipful  our  well-beloved  and  godly 
Doctor  Martin  Luther,  of  the  order  of  the 
Augustines." 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  249 

"  That  was  a  strange  way  to  address  a 
man  whom  they  had  just  excommunicated," 
remarked  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Father,  you  did  not  tell  us  who  were 
those  friends  who  rode  with  Luther  as  he 
went  to  Worms,"  said  Stephen. 

"Amsdorff,  Schurff  and  Swaven  went  with 
him.  Schurff  was  a  law-professor,  a  mild, 
timid  man,  an  intimate  friend  of  Luther's. 
Love  made  him  bold,  and  he  asked  the  priv- 
ilege of  going  with  Luther  on  this  danger- 
ous journey.  Swaven  was  a  young  Danish 
student  who  lodged  with  Melanchthon.  Me- 
lanchthon  himself  wanted  to  go,  but  friends 
opposed  it,  and  he  yielded. 

"A  crowd  also  welcomed  him  at  Erfurth, 
where  he  was  requested  to  preach.  He  had 
been  forbidden  to  preach,  but  the  herald 
himself,  carried  away  by  the  feelings  of 
those  about  him,  consented.  So  on  the  Sun- 
day after  Easter  he  preached  in  the  church 
of  the  Augustines,  which  was  crowded  to 
excess.  He  uttered  not  a  word  about  him- 
self, the  diet,  the  emperor  or  the  nuncios : 
he  preached  Christ,  and  him  alone.  He  also 
preached  at  Gotha.  As  Luther  journeyed 


250  MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

his  courage  seemed  to  increase,  while  his 
enemies  were  panic-stricken.  The  monk 
must  be  stopped ;  he  must  not  be  allowed  to 
appear  at  the  council :  his  eloquence  was  to 
be  feared.  How  can  they  stop  him? 

"  Luther  reached  Oppenheim.  In  three 
days  his  safe-conduct  would  be  void.  Friends 
and  foes  tried  to  prevent  him,  but  Luther 
never  faltered :  '  Though  there  should  be  as 
many  devils  at  Worms  as  there  are  tiles 
on  its  roofs,  I  would  enter  it.'  He  went  for- 
ward ;  a  vast  crowd  met  him  at  the  gates. 
At  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  April  16 
he  entered  within  those  walls  whence  many 
predicted  that  he  would  never  depart.  Two 
thousand  people  followed  him  through  the 
streets.  People  ran  to  their  doors  to  see  him. 

"  Suddenly  a  man  in  grotesque  garments 
pressed  through  the  crowd,  bearing  before 
him  a  lofty  cross,  as  is  customary  at  funerals. 
He  advanced  toward  Luther,  and  chanted 
with  a  shrill  and  plaintive  tone  as  priests 
chant  masses  for  the  repose  of  the  dead. 
And  these  were  the  words  he  chanted : 

'  Thou  art  come  whom  we  desired, 
Whom  we  waited  for  in  the  regions  of  darkness.' 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  251 

These  words  were  supposed  to  be  uttered 
from  the  abode  of  departed  spirits,  and  the 
singer  of  these  verses  was  a  court-fool  who 
wanted  to  warn  Luther.  But  the  shouts  of 
the  crowd  soon  drowned  the  voice  of  the 
court-fool. 

"  With  difficulty  the  procession  made  its 
way  through  the  crowd  that  thronged  to  see 
the  monk  'in  an  open  cart  and  in  a  monk's 
frock,'  as  Luther  described  his  appearance 
afterward,  adding,  '  And  every  one  came  out 
into  the  streets,  desiring  to  see  Friar  Martin.' 

"  The  elector  was  alarmed  when  he  learned 
that  Luther  had  arrived.  And  so  was, 
Aleander.  Albert,  the  young  archbishop, 
was  also  alarmed.  '  If  I  had  no  more  cour- 
age than  the  archbishop,'  remarked  Luther, 
'  true  it  is  they  would  never  have  seen  me  at 
Worms.' 

"  Charles  V.  called  his  council.  '  Luther 
is  come ;  what  must  be  done  ?'  said  Charles. 
— '  Bring  him  to  the  stake,'  counseled  the 
bishop  of  Palermo.  '  One  is  under  no  obli- 
gation to  give  or  to  observe  a  safe-conduct 
in  the  case  of  heretics.' — '  Not  so,'  replied 
Charles ;  '  what  we  promise  we  should  ob- 


252  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

serve  and  keep.'  And  so  it  was  agreed  that 
the  Reformer  should  be  heard.  Many  in 
Worms  were  filled  with  joy  at  this  decision, 
for  they  had  long  desired  to  hear  this  dis- 
tinguished servant  of  God. 

"  In  the  evening  after  his  arrival  counts, 
barons,  knights,  gentlemen,  ecclesiastics  and 
citizens  flocked  about  him  and  kept  him 
from  his  bed  till  a  late  hour.  All  were 
struck  with  his  courageous  bearing,  his  joy, 
his  eloquence  and  his  enthusiasm.  While 
some  acknowledged  the  divine  presence,  his 
enemies  declared  that  he  was  possessed  by  a 
devil." 

"  They  forgot  that  a  devil  cannot  give  joy 
and  peace,"  quietly  remarked  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"The  next  morning  he  was  cited  to  appear 
in  the  presence  of  His  Imperial  Majesty  and 
of  the  States  of  the  empire.  Luther  received 
the  summons  with  profound  respect,  and  at 
the  appointed  hour — four  in  the  afternoon — 
calmly  set  out  for  the  town-hall. 

"  But  between  the  hours  of  the  summons 
and  the  departure  for  the  diet  Luther  passed 
through  a  fearful  struggle.  For  a  few  mo- 
ments God's  face  seemed  to  be  veiled,  and 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  253 

Luther's  faith  forsook  him.  His  soul  was 
tossed  by  a  violent  tempest  of  doubts  and 
fears,  and  he  threw  himself  with  his  face  to 
the  ground  and  uttered  broken  prayers, 
which  were  overheard  and  preserved  by  one 
of  his  friends.  His  cries  for  help  were  not 
unheeded.  Strength,  courage  and  calmness 
returned ;  and  the  crowd  thronging  the 
streets  and  looking  down  at  him  from  the 
house-tops  saw  only  a  peaceful  countenance. 

"  The  throng  increased.  It  was  found  to 
be  impossible  to  press  through  it,  and  so 
Luther  was  led  through  private  gardens  and 
back  ways  to  the  place  where  the  diet  was 
assembled.  The  people  even  rushed  into 
these  houses  after  Luther,  and  roofs  and 
pavements  were  covered  with  spectators." 

"And  how  did  they  get  him  into  the  town- 
hall?"  asked  Charlie. 

"  Let  him  down  through  the  roof,  didn't 
they,  uncle?" 

"  No,  Paul.  The  imperial  soldiers  cried, 
1  Make  room !'  but  no  one  stirred,  so  they 
cleared  a  passage,  driving  the  people  back 
with  their  halberds.  At  length  Luther 
stood  within  the  hall,  and  there  again  he 


254  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

beheld  a  crowd.  In  the  ante-chambers  and 
the  window-recesses  there  were  more  than 
five  thousand  spectators,  German,  Italian, 
Spanish,  and  of  other  nations. 

"  Luther  advanced  with  difficulty.  As  he 
drew  near  the  door  which  was  to  admit  him 
to  the  presence  of  his  judges  a  valiant  knight 
— George  Freundsberg — touched  him  on  the 
shoulder,  and,  shaking  his  gray  head,  said, 
kindly,  *  My  poor  monk !  my  poor  monk ! 
Thou  hast  a  march  and  a  struggle  to  go 
through  such  as  neither  I  nor  many  other 
captains  have  seen  the  like  in  our  most 
bloody  battles.  But  if  thy  cause  be  just, 
and  thou  art  sure  of  it,  go  forward  in  God's 
name  and  fear  nothing :  he  will  not  forsake 
thee.' 

"  In  a  few  moments  the  door  of  the  hall 
opened,  and  Luther  stood  in  the  presence  of 
Charles  V.,  his  brother  the  archduke  Fer- 
dinand, six  electors  of  the  empire,  most  of 
whose  successors  are  now  crowned  heads, 
twenty-four  dukes  (among  them  the  duke  of 
Alva  and  his  two  sons),  eight  margraves, 
thirty  archbishops,  bishops,  prelates,  seven 
ambassadors,  including  those  of  France  and 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  255 

England,  the  deputies  of  ten  free  cities,  a 
number  of  princes,  counts  and  barons  of 
rank,  and  the  pope's  nuncios — in  all,  two 
hundred  persons. 

"  Such  was  the  imposing  assemblage  before 
which  stood  Martin  Luther.  His  very  ap- 
pearance there  was  a  signal  victory  over  the 
papacy.  The  man  whom  the  pope  con- 
demned stood  before  a  tribunal  raised  by 
that  very  fact  above  the  pope's  authority. 
The  pope  had  decreed  that  his  lips  should  be 
closed  for  ever,  and  he  was  about  to  unclose 
them  in  the  presence  of  thousands  assembled 
from  the  remotest  countries  of  Christendom. 

"  Some  princes  who  were  near  whispered 
strengthening  words.  '  Fear  not  them  who 
are  able  to  kill  the  body,  and  cannot  destroy 
the  soul/  said  one.  And  another  whispered, 
'  When  ye  are  brought  before  kings,  it  shall 
be  given  to  you,  by  the  Spirit  of  your  Fa- 
ther, what  you  shall  say.' 

"  The  guards  made  way  for  Luther.  He 
stepped  forward,  and  found  himself  in  front 
of  the  throne  of  Charles  V.  All  eyes  were 
turned  upon  him,  and  there  was  a  profound 
silence. 


256  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"John  Eck,  the  chancellor  of  the  arch- 
bishop of  Treves,  broke  the  silence,  speaking 
first  in  Latin,  and  then  in  German.  In  the 
name  of  'His  Sacred  and  Invincible  Maj- 
esty '  he  called  upon  Luther  to  answer  two 
questions :  First,  '  Do  you  acknowledge 
these  writings  to  have  been  composed  by 
you  ?'  Second,  'Are  you  prepared  to  retract 
these  works  and  the  propositions  contained 
therein,  or  do  you  persist  in  what  you  have 
therein  advanced?' 

"As  Eck  asked  the  first  question  he  point- 
ed to  about  twenty  volumes  placed  on  a  table 
in  the  centre  of  the  hall. 

"After  the  titles  were  read  aloud,  Luther 
acknowledged  the  books  to  be  his.  The 
second  question  he  considered  too  important 
to  be  answered  hastily :  '  I  should  act  rashly 
if  I  were  to  answer  without  reflection.  I 
might  say  less  than  the  circumstance  de- 
mands, or  more  than  truth  requires,  and  so 
sin  against  that  word  of  Christ :  "  Whoso- 
ever shall  deny  me  before  men,  him  will  I 
deny  before  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven." : 

"The  time  he  asked  was  granted  him. 
'  His  Imperial  Majesty,  acting  in  the  good- 


MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  257 

ness  of  his  nature,'  said  the  chancellor  of 
Treves,  '  consents  to  allow  you  one  day's 
delay,  but  on  condition  that  you  will  make 
answer  by  word  of  mouth,  and  not  in  writ- 
ing.' 

"  Immediately  the  imperial  herald  came 
forward  and  conducted  Luther  back  to  the 
hotel.  Threats  and  shouts  accompanied  him 
through  the  crowd;  alarming  reports  reached 
his  friends.  '  The  diet  is  displeased,'  it  was 
said.  '  The  pope's  envoys  triumph ;  the  Re- 
former will  fall  a  victim.'  Men's  passions 
were  aroused.  Some  gentlemen  went  in 
haste  to  Luther.  '  Doctor,'  said  they,  in 
agitation,  '  what  is  all  this  ?  They  say  they 
are  resolved  to  bring  you  to  the  stake.  .  .  . 
If  they  dare  attempt  it,  it  shall  be  at  the 
peril  of  their  lives.' 

"  Luther's  enemies  were  all  confidence. 
1  He  has  begged  for  time,'  they  said ;  '  he  is 
going  to  retract.  At  a  distance  his  speech 
was  arrogant,  but  now  his  courage  forsakes 
him.  .  .  .  He  is  conquered.' 

"  Luther  was  perhaps  the  only  person  at 
Worms  perfectly  undisturbed.  The  commo- 
tion among  the  people  and  the  soldiers  of 

17 


258  ME.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

the  states  was  increasing  every  hour;  they 
came  to  blows  in  the  streets.  The  Spanish 
troops,  proud  and  stern,  gave  great  offence 
by  their  insolence  to  the  burghers  of  the  city. 
One  of  the  soldiers,  finding  in  a  book-store 
the  pope's  bull  with  Ulrich  von  Hutten's 
commentary,  seized  it,  tore  it  in  pieces  and 
trampled  it  under  foot.  Others  tore  up  Lu- 
ther's tract  on  the  captivity  of  Babylon. 
The  common  people,  roused  to  resistance, 
fell  upon  the  soldiers  and  compelled  them  to 
retire.  Another  time  a  mounted  Spaniard 
pursued,  sword  in  hand,  through  the  public 
streets  of  Worms,  a  German,  who  fled  from 
him,  and  the  people  in  their  fright  made  no 
attempt  to  stop  the  pursuer. 

"  The  next  day,  after  composing  his  mind 
by  waiting  upon  God,  Luther  again  followed 
the  herald  to  the  hall  of  the  diet.  The 
general  curiosity  was  great,  for  the  answer 
was  to  be  decisive.  But  the  diet  was  en- 
gaged in  deliberation,  and  Luther  was  obliged 
to  wait  in  the  court  surrounded  by  a  dense 
crowd  eagerly  moving  to  and  fro  and  re- 
sembling a  sea  of  heads.  For  two  hours  the 
Reformer  was  hemmed  in  by  the  multitude 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  259 

pressing  to  see  him.  'I  was  not  used,'  he 
said,  '  to  such  ways  and  noises.'  And  to  an 
ordinary  man  this  would  have  been  a  griev- 
ous hindrance  to  preparedness  of  mind.  But 
Luther  was  walking  with  his  God.  His 
look  was  serene ;  his  features  were  unruffled. 
The  Eternal  was  placing  him  on  a  rock. 
Evening  began  to  close  in,  and  the  torches 
were  lighted  in  the  hall.  Their  light  gleamed 
through  the  ancient  painted  glass  to  the 
court  beyond,  and  the  whole  scene  wore  an 
aspect  of  more  than  common  solemnity. 

"At  length  the  doctor  was  admitted.  In 
answer  to  the  question,  'Are  you  prepared  to 
defend  all  that  your  writings  contain,  or  do 
you  wish  to  retract  any  part  of  them  ?'  Lu- 
ther made  a  speech,  first  in  German,  then 
in  Latin.  His  tone  was  low  and  humble, 
without  any  violence  or  vehemence,  and  his 
manner  full  of  respect  and  diffidence,  yet 
with  much  joy  and  Christian  firmness.  He 
asked  pardon  if  by  reason  of  his  ignorance 
he  was  wanting  in  the  manners  befitting  a 
court,  for  he  had  not  been  brought  up  in 
kings'  palaces,  but  in  the  seclusion  of  a 
cloister." 


260  MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"Of  course  he  did  not  retract?"  said 
Charlie. 

"  No ;  he  implored  them  to  prove  by  the 
writings  of  the  prophets  and  the  apostles 
that  he  was  in  error.  'As  soon  as  I  am  con- 
vinced of  this,'  he  said,  '  I  will  instantly  re- 
tract all  my  errors,  and  will  myself  be  the 
first  to  seize  my  writings  and  commit  them 
to  the  flames.'  He  said  he  had  well  con- 
sidered the  dangers  to  which  he  was  expos- 
ing himself,  but,  far  from  being  dismayed 
by  them,  he  rejoiced  exceedingly  to  see  the 
gospel  a  cause  of  disturbance  and  disagree- 
ment. '  It  is  the  character  and  destiny  of 
God's  word.  "  I  came  not  to  send  peace, 
but  a  sword,"  said  Jesus  Christ.' 

"When  he  stopped  speaking,  the  chan- 
cellor of  Treves  angrily  told  him  he  had  not 
answered  the  question  put  to  him.  'You 
are  not  to  question  the  decisions  of  the  coun- 
cil ;  you  are  required  to  return  a  clear  and 
distinct  answer.  Will  you,  or  will  you  not, 
retract  ?' 

"Luther  then  unhesitatingly  answered: 
'  Since  Your  Most  Serene  Majesty  and  Your 
High  Mightinesses  require  of  me  a  simple, 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  261 

clear  and  direct  answer,  I  will  give  one,  and 
it  is  this :  I  cannot  submit  my  faith  either 
to  the  pope  or  to  the  councils,  because  it  is 
as  clear  as  noonday  that  they  have  often 
fallen  into  error,  and  even  into  glaring  in- 
consistency with  themselves.  If,  then,  I  am 
not  convinced  by  proof  from  Holy  Scripture 
or  by  cogent  reasons,  if  I  am  not  satisfied 
by  the  very  text  that  I  have  cited,  and  if 
my  judgment  is  not  in  this  way  brought  into 
subjection  to  God's  word,  I  neither  can  nor 
will  retract  anything ;  for  it  cannot  be  right 
for  a  Christian  to  speak  against  his  con- 
science.' Then,  turning  a  look  on  that  as- 
sembly before  whom  he  stood,  and  which 
held  his  life  or  death  in  its  hands,  he  said, 
'  Here  stand  I,  and  can  say  no  more.  God 
help  me.  Amen.' 

"  The  assembly  was  motionless  with  aston- 
ishment ;  several  of  the  princes  present  could 
scarcely  conceal  their  admiration.  The  em- 
peror exclaimed,  '  The  monk  speaks  with  an 
intrepid  heart  and  unshaken  courage.' 

"  It  was  a  critical  moment,  for  on  the 
'  Yea '  or  '  Nay '  of  this  monk  seemed  to 
depend  the  repose  of  the  Church  and  of  the 


262  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

world  for  ages  to  come.  In  the  desire  to 
overawe  him,  he  had  been  raised  on  a  plat- 
form in  sight  of  a  whole  nation  ;  the  attempt 
to  make  public  his  defeat  had  only  made 
greater  his  victory  over  his  enemies. 

"It  would  take  too  long  to  tell  you  all 
the  attempts  they  made  to  persuade  Luther 
to  retract,  but  all  in  vain ;  he  was  firm  as  a 
rock.  He  had  said  'No  /'  to  the  Church  and 
to  the  empire.  As  the  august  assembly  dis- 
persed, the  chancellor  said  aloud,  '  The  diet 
will  meet  again  to-morrow  morning  to  hear 
the  emperor's  decision.' 

"It  was  night.  Two  officers  were  ap- 
pointed to  accompany  Luther.  Some  per- 
sons thought  they  were  taking  him  to  prison, 
which  he  would  leave  only  to  mount  the  scaf- 
fold. Then  a  tumult  arose.  Several  gen- 
tlemen demanded  aloud :  'Are  they  leading 
him  to  prison  ?" — '  No,'  said  Luther ;  '  they 
are  conducting  me  to  my  hotel.'  Then  the 
commotion  subsided." 

"  Luther's  firmness  made  a  great  impres- 
sion on  Frederick,  I  have  read,"  said  Mrs. 
Arnold. 

"Yes,"  answered  Mr.  Arnold;    "he  re- 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  263 

solved  from  that  time  openly  to  protect  Lu- 
ther." 

"  What  did  they  do  the  next  day  when 
they  met?"  inquired  Josie. 

"A  message  from  the  emperor  was  read 
to  the  diet,  in  which  the  mighty  Charles  de- 
clared that  he  would  sacrifice  his  kingdom, 
power,  friends,  treasure,  body  and  blood, 
thoughts  and  life  to  stay  the  progress  of  this 
mad  monk,  threatening  him  again,  and  threat- 
ening all  his  friends.  Some  of  the  great  dig- 
nitaries of  the  Church  demanded  that  Lu- 
ther's safe-conduct  should  not  be  respected. 
'  His  ashes  ought  to  be  thrown  into  the 
Rhine,'  said  they.  The  emperor  afterward 
said  he  had  made  a  great  mistake  in  not 
putting  Luther  to  death  at  that  time. 

"The  sympathy  of  men  of  the  ranks  at 
Worms  broke  forth  without  fear  or  disguise. 
Knights,  princes,  counts,  barons — a  mighty 
train — surrounded  the  Reformer's  lodging  on 
that  eventful  Friday  when  the  council  broke 
up,  many  conversing  with  him  about  the 
truth  which  he  had  so  nobly  defended." 

The  Arnold  children,  you  notice,  seldom 
interrupted  their  father  now  with  questions, 


264  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

but  they  listened  with  great  interest.  Mr. 
Arnold  told  them  how  the  archbishop  of 
Treves  had  an  interview  with  Luther — not 
to  dispute  with  him,  but  to  mediate.  Others 
joined  him  in  exhortation.  Nothing  was 
gained :  Luther  would  yield  nothing.  "  I 
would  rather  be  deprived  of  my  limbs,"  he 
said,  "than  give  up  the  plain  and  sincere 
word  of  God." 

"At  length  Luther  was  ordered  to  leave 
Worms,  and  told  that  he  must  not  disturb 
the  public  peace  on  his  journey  by  preach- 
ing or  writing.  Luther  must  have  felt  that 
he  was  in  great  danger,  but  he  merely  said, 
'  It  has  happened  unto  me  according  to  the 
will  of  the  Eternal.'  Then  he  thanked  those 
who  had  so  graciously  listened  to  him.  He 
said  all  he  wished  was  a  reformation  of  the 
Church  according  to  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

"I  think,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold,  "that  his 
appearance  before  the  diet  of  Worms  was 
the  sublimest  hour  of  his  life." 

"Yes;  he  stood  before  the  greatest  and 
the  most  powerful  men  of  his  times,  but 
by  all  their  threats  and  entreaties  they  could 
not  move  him  from  the  Rock  of  his  strength." 


The  Castle  of  the  AVartbiirg.  Page  265. 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  265 

"Then  he  was  hidden  in  the  Wartburg, 
wasn't  he?"  asked  Stephen. 

"  Yes ;  and  there  he  translated  the  Bible* 
I  read  that,"  said  Josie. 

"  What  was  it  about  the  Wartburg  ?"  asked 
little  Paul. 

"  You  know,"  answered  Mr.  Arnold,  "  that 
when  the  safe-conduct  given  by  the  emperor 
expired,  Luther  became  an  outlaw.  Every 
one  was  forbidden  to  give  him  food  or  shel- 
ter. His  books  were  to  be  burnt  and  his 
goods  sold,  arid  no  one  was  to  protect  or 
help  him  in  any  way.  As  he  was  going 
from  Worms  and  came  to  the  mountains 
near  Eisenach,  a  band  of  armed  knights 
seized  him  and  carried  him  off.  Where 
was  he  taken?  Nobody  could  tell.  But 
these  armed  men  were  sent  by  Luther's 
friends  to  seize  him  thus  and  bear  him  to 
a  lonely  castle  called  the  Wartburg,  where 
he  would  be  safely  hidden  from  his  ene- 
mies." 

"And  now,"  said  Mrs.  Arnold,  "  we  must 
close  for  to-night,  for  Maggie  and  Charlie 
must  be  off  to  bed." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

LUTHER  IN  THE   WARTBURQ. 

IN  answer  to  some  questions  of  Stephen's, 
Mr.  Arnold  had  been  telling  him  how 
Luther,  acting  under  the  advice  of  the  king 
of  Denmark,  had  written  a  letter  to  Henry 
VIII.  of  England.  This  letter  the  king 
never  received.  Hearing  nothing  of  it,  Lu- 
ther boldly  printed  it  and  sent  a  copy  to  the 
king.  In  wrath  Henry  exclaimed  : 

"  What !  does  this  apostate  monk  dare 
print  a  letter  addressed  to  us  without  hav- 
ing even  sent  it — or,  at  the  least,  without 
knowing  if  we  have  ever  received  it?" 

"  Henry  called  it  an  impudent  letter," 
remarked  Mr.  Arnold ;  "  certainly,  some 
very  plain  truths  were  contained  in  it." 

"  Did  he  answer  it  ?"  inquired  Josie. 

"Yes.  And  D'Aubigne  says  this  letter, 
written  by  '  the  king  of  the  English  to  the 
king  of  the  heretics,'  was  immediately  cir- 
culated throughout  England,  bound  up  with 

266 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  267 

Luther's  epistle.  Henry  by  publishing  it 
put  his  subjects  on  their  guard  against  the 
unfaithful  translations  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, which  were  about  to  be  burned  every- 
where." 

"And  what  did  Luther  say  ?"  asked  Mag- 
gie. 

" '  I  have  laid  my  humble  epistle  at  his 
feet ;  but,  alas !  the  swine  have  torn  it.  I 
am  willing  to  be  silent,  .  .  .  but,  as  regards 
my  doctrine,  I  cannot  impose  silence  on  it. 
It  must  cry  aloud ;  it  must  bite.  If  any 
king  imagines  he  can  make  me  retract  my 
faith,  he  is  a  dreamer.  So  long  as  one  drop 
of  blood  remains  in  my  body  I  shall  say 
"  No."  Emperors,  kings,  the  devil,  and  even 
the  whole  universe,  cannot  frighten  me  when 
faith  is  concerned.  .  .  .  For  a  thousand  years 
the  Holy  Scriptures  have  not  shone  in  the 
world  with  so  much  brightness  as  now.  I 
wait  in  peace  for  my  last  hour ;  I  have  done 
what  I  could.  O  princes,  my  hands  are 
clean  from  your  blood ;  it  will  fall  on  your 
own  heads.' ' 

"  Tell  us  about  what  he  did  when  he  was 
in  the  Wartburg,"  said  Josie. 


268  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Mr.  Arnold  took  up  the  history  and  read : 

"  For  some  time  after  the  gospel  was 
preached  in  the  pulpit  the  old  supersti- 
tions were  observed  at  the  altar,  for  ancient 
rites  retired  reluctantly.  A  new  faith  was 
abroad,  but  new  works  were  not  yet  seen. 

"The  truth  came  slowly  to  Luther,  and 
you  know  he  never  was  fully  emancipated 
from  error.  The  opinions  he  put  forth  made 
silent-  progress,  like  the  waters  which  trickle 
behind  our  rocks  and  loosen  them  from  the 
mountains  on  which  they  rest ;  suddenly  the 
hidden  operation  is  revealed,  and  a  single 
day  suffices  to  lay  bare  the  work  of  years, 
if  not  of  centuries. 

"When  the  walls  of  the  Wartburg  hid 
Luther  from  the  world,  the  work  of  refor- 
mation seemed  to  disappear  from  view ;  un- 
til this  period  it  had  centred  in  the  person 
of  Luther.  All  Germany  was  moved  by 
the  news  of  his  captivity.  The  wildest  sto- 
ries were  circulated  in  regard  to  him.  Trav- 
elers, being  questioned,  recounted  how  brutal 
horsemen  had  been  seen  hastily  binding  the 
Reformer  and  dragging  him  after  them  on 
foot  till  his  strength  was  spent  and  his 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  269 

blood  flowed.  Some  said  his  body  had 
been  pierced  through  and  through.  Lu- 
ther's friends  swore  to  avenge  his  death, 
which  caused  great  alarm  in  the  Romish 
party.  One  Romanist  wrote  to  the  arch- 
bishop of  Mentz :  '  The  only  way  of  extri- 
cating ourselves  is  to  light  our  torches  and 
go  searching  through  the  earth  for  Lu- 
ther till  we  can  restore  him  to  the  nation 
that  will  have  him.' 

"  Loud  accusations  were  brought  against 
Charles  V.  and  the  nuncios.  The  entire 
nation  espoused  the  cause  of  the  monk  whose 
energy  of  faith  had  made  him  its  leader. 
The  consternation  at  Wittemberg  was  ex- 
treme. 

"  Suddenly  news  of  a  more  cheering  na- 
ture arrived.  '  Our  well-beloved  father  still 
lives,'  exclaimed  Melanchthon,  exultingly ; 
'  take  courage  and  stand  firm.' 

"  But  ere  long  sorrow  returned.  Luther 
lived,  but  he  was  in  close  imprisonment. 
But,  while  for  ten  months  God's  hand  wisely 
shut  him  in,  that  same  hand  carried  on  the 
mighty  work  begun.  The  edict  of  Worms 
was  being  rendered  powerless.  The  man 


270  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

who,  without  heeding  the  thunderbolts  of 
Charles  and  of  the  pope,  had  made  confes- 
sion of  his  faith  with  the  courage  of  a  mar- 
tyr was  constantly  winning  the  people  to 
his  side.  It  was  becoming  evident  that  he 
spoke  the  truth.  A  wave  of  enthusiasm  was 
spreading  over  the  land. 

"  'The  knight  George,'  as  Luther  was  called 
during  his  imprisonment,  was  at  large  in  the 
fortress,  but  was  never  permitted  to  pass  out- 
side. All  his  wishes  were  gratified,  and  he 
had  never  been  better  treated.  '  Pray  for 
me/  he  wrote  to  Spalatin ;  '  I  want  nothing 
but  your  prayers.  Don't  disturb  me  by 
what  is  said  or  thought  of  me  in  the  world. 
At  last  I  am  quiet.'  This  letter,  like  many 
others,  was  dated  '  from  the  island  of  Pat- 
mos.'  Seated  in  solitude  on  the  walls  of  the 
Wartburg,  he  passed  whole  days  lost  in  med- 
itation. At  times  the  wretchedness  of  the 
Church  rose  before  his  vision,  and  then  he 
dreaded  being  charged  with  having  deserted 
the  field  of  battle.  '  Rather,'  he  exclaimed, 
'  would  I  be  stretched  on  burning  coals  than 
stagnate  here  half  dead.'  At  other  times 
faith  triumphed,  and  his  soul  found  rest  in 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  271 

peaceful,  trustful  thoughts.  Next  to  the 
sweet  assurance  of  the  Lord's  protection,  he 
was  consoled  by  the  recollection  of  Melanch- 
thon.  '  If  I  perish,'  he  wrote,  *  the  gospel  will 
lose  nothing :  you  will  succeed  me  as  Elisha 
succeeded  Elijah,  with  a  double  portion  of 
my  spirit.' 

"  Luther  feared  the  final  onset  of  Rome 
on  the  infant  Church.  The  poor  monk,  a 
prisoner  and  alone,  had  many  a  struggle  to 
pass  through  in  his  solitude. 

"  Sickness  added  to  his  trials.  He  had 
already  suffered  much  at  Worms,  and  his 
disorder  increased  in  loneliness.  The  food 
at  first  given  him  at  the  Wartburg  was  alto- 
gether unsuited  to  him ;  it  was  richer  than 
his  customary  diet,  for  he  was  used  to  con- 
vent fare.  That  was  soon  exchanged  for 
plainer  food.  But  sleeplessness  was  not  so 
easily  remedied.  He  passed  whole  nights 
without  sleep,  anxieties  of  mind  and  pain 
of  body  forcing  from  him  loud  cries.  Then, 
ceasing  to  complain  and  touched  with  the 
thought  that  what  he  was  undergoing  was 
sent  in  mercy  from  God,  he  would  break 
forth  in  the  language  of  love  and  praise. 


272  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  Let  ine  show  you  what  Luther's  employ- 
ments were.  '  I  am  going  through  the  Bible 
in  Hebrew  and  Greek,'  he  wrote.  '  I  mean 
to  write  a  discourse  in  German  touching 
auricular  confession,  also  to  continue  the 
translation  of  the  Psalms  and  to  compose  a 
collection  of  sermons  as  soon  as  I  have  re- 
ceived what  I  want  from  Wittemberg.  My 
pen  is  never  idle.'  Even  this  was  but  a  part 
of  his  labors.  And  yet  he  writes :  '  Here 
am  I  lapped  in  indolence  and  pleasure.'  He 
doubtless  referred  to  the  quality  of  his  food. 
And  certainly  he  must  at  times  have  felt  it 
a  pleasure  to  be  shut  out  from  conflicts  and 
turmoil. 

"  Luther's  enemies  thought  that,  if  not 
dead,  at  least  he  was  effectually  silenced; 
but  their  exultation  was  short.  A  multitude 
of  tracts  composed  in  the  Wartburg  followed 
one  another  in  rapid  succession,  and  were 
enthusiastically  received.  For  ten  months 
he  thus  instructed,  exhorted,  rebuked  and 
thundered  from  his  mountain-height.  He 
allowed  himself  hardly  any  rest. 

"The  declining  health  of  Luther  made 
him  think  of  leaving  the  castle.  But  what 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  273 

to  do?  Should  he  venture  to  appear  in  open 
day  ?  In  the  rear  of  the  mountain  on  which 
the  fortress  was  built  the  country  was  inter- 
sected by  numerous  footpaths  bordered  by 
tufts  of  wild  strawberries.  The  massive  gate 
of  the  castle  was  unclosed,  and  the  prisoner 
ventured  to  gather  some  of  the  fruit.  Grad- 
ually he  became  more  venturesome,  and,  dis- 
guised in  his  knight's  costume  and  attended 
by  a  rough-mannered  but  faithful  guard,  he 
extended  his  excursions  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

"  One  day,  stopping  to  rest  at  an  inn,  Lu- 
ther laid  aside  his  sword,  which  encumbered 
him,  and  took  up  some  books  that  lay  near. 
His  natural  disposition  got  the  better  of  his 
prudence.  His  attendant  took  the  alarm  lest 
an  action  so  unusual  in  a  man  of  arms  should 
excite  a  suspicion  that  the  doctor  was  not 
really  a  knight.  Another  time  the  two 
companions  descended  the  mountain  and 
entered  the  convent  of  Reichardsbrunn,  in 
which,  but  a  few  months  before,  Luther  had 
rested  for  a  night  on  his  way  to  Worms. 
Suddenly  one  of  the  lay-brothers  uttered  an 
exclamation  of  surprise:  Luther  had  been 

18 


274  ME.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

recognized.  His  keeper,  seeing  how  the 
matter  stood,  hurried  him  away,  and  it  was 
not  till  they  were  galloping  far  from  the 
cloisters  that  the  monk  recovered  from  his 
astonishment. 

"  The  life  of  the  doctor  of  Wittemberg,  in 
his  assumed  character  of  knight,  had  indeed 
at  times  about  it  a  something  truly  theologi- 
cal. One  day  the  snares  were  made  ready, 
the  fortress  gates  thrown  open,  the  sporting- 
dogs  let  loose.  Luther  had  expressed  a  wish 
to  partake  of  the  pleasures  of  the  chase. 
The  huntsmen  were  in  high  spirits;  the 
dogs  scoured  the  hills,  driving  the  hares 
from  the  brushwood ;  but  as  the  tumult 
swelled  around  him  the  knight  George,  mo- 
tionless in  the  midst  of  it,  felt  his  soul  fill 
with  solemn  thoughts.  Looking  around  him, 
his  heart  heaved  with  sorrow.  '  Is  it  not,' 
said  he,  '  the  very  picture  of  the  devil  set- 
ting his  dogs,  the  bishops — those  messengers 
of  Antichrist — and  sending  them  out  to  hunt 
down  poor  souls?  A  young  leveret  had 
been  snared ;  rejoicing  to  liberate  it,  Luther 
wrapped  it  in  his  mantle  and  deposited  it  in 
the  midst  of  a  thicket.  But  scarcely  had  he 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  275 

left  the  spot,  when  the  dogs  scented  it  and 
killed  it.  Drawn  to  the  place  by  its  cry, 
Luther  uttered  an  exclamation  of  grief:  *O 
pope !  and  thou  too,  O  Satan !  it  is  thus  that 
ye  would  compass  the  destruction  of  the  souls 
that  have  been  rescued  from  death.' 

"While  the  doctor  of  Wittemberg  was 
dead  to  the  world,  the  great  work  of  the 
Reformation  was  progressing.  It  was  no 
longer  limited  to  teaching :  it  now  began  to 
affect  and  mould  the  life.  Bernard  Feld- 
kirchen,  the  pastor  of  Kemberg,  and  the 
first,  under  Luther's  direction,  to  expose  the 
errors  of  Rome,  was  also  the  first  to  throw 
off  the  yoke  of  her  institutions :  he  mar- 
ried. You  would  be  surprised  to  know  what 
a  tumult  this  simple  act  excited.  '  I  am  all 
admiration,'  said  Luther,  '  of  the  new  bride- 
groom of  Kemberg,  who  moves  on  fearless- 
ly in  the  midst  of  all  this  hubbub.'  Luther 
was  satisfied  that  priests  ought  to  marry,  but 
he  was  not  clear  about  the  marriage  of  friars 
until  he  had  passed  through  a  mental  con- 
flict. Melanchthon  and  Carlstadt  thought 
one  class  ought  to  be  as  free  as  the  other. 
Luther  wrote  to  Melanchthon  :  '  The  priests 


276  MB.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

are  ordained  by  God,  and  therefore  they  are 
set  above  the  commandments  of  men ;  but 
the  friars  have  of  their  own  accord  chosen  a 
life  of  celibacy.  They  are  not,  therefore,  at 
liberty  to  withdraw  from  the  obligation  they 
have  laid  themselves  under.' 

"  But  the  Reformer  who  had  already  tram- 
pled under  his  feet  many  Romish  corrup- 
tions was  destined  to  advance  a  step  farther. 
Monkery,  which  had  in  early  times  carried 
the  spark  of  life  to  many  a  desert  spot,  and, 
passing  through  successive  generations,  now 
filled  so  many  cloisters  with  sloth  and  lux- 
ury, seemed  to  find  a  voice  in  the  castle  of 
Thuringen,  and  to  depend  for  life  or  death 
upon  the  agitated  conscience  of  one  man. 
Luther  struggled  for  a  while,  at  one  moment 
on  the  point  of  rejecting  it,  at  another  dis- 
posed to  acknowledge  it.  At  last,  no  longer 
able  to  support  the  contest,  he  threw  himself 
in  prayer  at  the  feet  of  Christ,  exclaiming, 
1  Do  thou  teach  us !  Do  thou  deliver  us ! 
Establish  us  with  thy  free  Spirit  in  the  lib- 
erty thou  hast  given  us,  for  surely  we  are 
thy  people.' 

"  The  old  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  277 

dethroned  monkery  from  the  place  it  held  in 
Luther's  mind  and  in  the  mind  of  Christen- 
dom. Luther  was  led  to  see  that  the  monas- 
tic institutions  were  in  flagrant  opposition  to 
the  doctrines  of  free  grace,  and  that  the  life 
led  by  the  monks  was  entirely  grounded  on 
the  assertion  of  human  merit.  Convinced 
from  that  moment  that  the  glory  of  Christ 
was  at  stake,  his  conscience  incessantly  re- 
peated, '  Monkery  must  yield.  So  long  as 
justification  by  faith  is  clearly  held  by  the 
Church,  not  one  of  her  members  will  become 
a  monk.'  Soon  he  declared  war  against 
monkery.  He  was  transformed ;  he  felt 
himself  no  longer  a  friar. 

"  The  partisans  of  Rome  thought  that  be- 
cause Luther  was  in  the  Wartburg  the  Ref- 
ormation was  for  ever  at  an  end.  No  sooner 
was  the  decree  against  Luther  issued  from 
the  imperial  chancellor's  court  than  Albert, 
the  archbishop  and  elector  of  Mentz,  called 
together  the  sellers  of  indulgences  and  en- 
couraged them  to  resume  their  iniquitous 
work.  '  Do  not  fear  Luther,'  he  said  ;  '  we 
have  silenced  him.  Go  shear  the  flock  in 
peace  ;  the  monk  is  in  prison,  under  bolts  and 


278  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

bars,  and  this  time  he  will  be  clever  indeed 
if  he  disturbs  us  at  our  work.'  The  market 
was  again  opened,  the  wares  were  spread  out 
for  sale;  again  the  churches  of  Halle  re- 
sounded with  harangues  of  mountebanks. 

"  Thank  God,  Luther  still  lived,  and  his 
voice  had  power  to  reach  beyond  the  walls 
of  his  prison.  He  was  aroused  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  indignation.  '  I  will  take  no  rest,' 
he  exclaimed, '  until  I  have  attacked  the  idol 
of  Mentz.' 

"  The  elector  tried  to  prevent  Luther's 
'  disturbing  the  public  tranquillity,'  but  the 
brave  Reformer  declared  that  he  would  rath- 
er ruin  the  elector  and  the  whole  world  than 
not  write  in  defence  of  the  truth.  He  knew 
that  the  power  of  the  emperor  could  easily 
silence  a  feeble  monk,  but  he  exclaimed,  '  I 
will  fearlessly  discharge  the  duty  that  Chris- 
tian charity  lays  me  under,  dreading  not  the 
gates  of  hell,  and  much  less  popes,  bishops 
or  cardinals.' 

"  With  many  brave  words  Luther  met  the 
young  and  weak-minded  Albert,  who  trem- 
bled before  him  and  returned  a  surprisingly 
meek  reply.  We  cannot  help  asking  our- 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  279 

selves  why  the  cardinal-archbishop  trembled 
in  his  chair.  Was  it  not  because  his  guilty 
conscience  told  him  that  truth  and  right 
were  on  the  side  of  the  solitary  captive? 

"  Joachim  I.,  elector  of  Brandenburg,  Al- 
bert's brother,  was  a  man  of  great  decision 
of  character.  Immovable  in  his  principle, 
decisive  in  action,  knowing  when  needful 
how  to  resist  the  encroachments  of  the  pope, 
he  opposed  an  iron  hand  to  the  progress  of 
the  Reformation.  Long  before  this,  when 
at  Worms,  he  had  urged  that  Luther  should 
be  refused  a  hearing  and  brought  to  punish- 
ment, notwithstanding  the  safe-conduct  with 
which  he  was  furnished.  Scarcely  was  the 
edict  of  Worms  issued  when  he  directed  that 
it  should  be  rigorously  enforced  in  his  states. 
Luther  could  appreciate  so  decided  a  char- 
acter. 

"  This  disposition  of  Joachim  seemed  to 
communicate  itself  to  his  people.  Berlin 
and  Brandenburg  long  continued  closed  to 
the  Reformed  doctrines.  But  that  which  is 
slowly  received  is  firmly  held.  While  coun- 
tries which  then  hailed  the  gospel  with  joy, 
as  Belgium  and  Westphalia,  were  ere  long 


280  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

seen  to  abandon  it,  Brandenburg,  which  was 
the  latest  of  the  German  states  to  enter  on 
the  way  of  faith,  was  destined  at  a  later 
period  to  stand  foremost  in  the  cause  of 
the  Reformation. 

"  Before  Luther  entered  the  Wartburg  he 
had  translated  some  fragments  of  the  Bible ; 
he  resolved  to  devote  the  time  of  his  captivity 
to  further  translation.  Soon  the  word  of 
God,  descending  with  him  from  the  Wart- 
burg,  circulated  among  the  families  of  Ger- 
many, enriching  them  with  spiritual  treas- 
ure that  had  hitherto  been  shut  up  within 
the  hearts  of  a  few  pious  persons.  It  was 
an  important  moment  in  the  history  of  the 
Reformation.  The  Bible  was  brought  for- 
ward, and  Luther  held  a  secondary  place. 

"In  translating  the  Bible,  Luther  found 
the  consolation  and  strength  he  needed. 
Weak  in  body  and  sorrowful  in  spirit,  he  at 
times  passed  through  fearful  struggles.  His 
vivid  imagination  easily  gave  bodily  shape 
to  the  emotions  of  his  soul,  and  ancient 
superstitions  still  had  some  hold  upon  him." 

"I  wonder  why  Luther  did  not  escape  out 
of  the  Wartburg  ?"  said  Josie.  "  I  suppose 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORTES.  281 

he  was  too  much  interested  in  his  transla- 
tion." 

"  He  did  at  times  grow  very  impatient, 
and  at  last  he  secretly  quitted  the  fortress 
and  went  to  Wittemberg.  A  storm  had  just 
burst  forth  against  him.  The  Sorbonne — 
that  celebrated  school  of  Paris,  next  in  au- 
thority in  the  Church  to  the  pope  himself — 
had  just  spoken  its  verdict  against  the  Ref- 
ormation. Melanchthon  fearlessly  defended 
Luther  at  this  time,  and  proved  by  his  writ- 
ings that  the  heresy  was  in  Paris  and  in 
Rome,  and  not  at  Wittemberg." 

"Tell  us  about  his  leaving  the  fortress," 
said  Maggie. 

"  Disguised  as  a  knight,  Luther  traveled 
to  Wittemberg,  being  recognized  by  no  one 
on  the  way.  His  friends  were  secretly  called 
together,  and  a  happy  meeting  they  had. 
Melanchthon  was  among  the  first  to  greet 
him.  Gladly  Luther  heard  of  the  spread 
of  the  Reformation,  and  they  prayed  and 
gave  thanks  together.  Then,  after  a  brief 
delay,  he  returned  to  the  Wartburg." 

"'Returned'!"  cried  Maggie  and  Charlie 
at  once.  "  I  would  not  have  done  that." ' 


282  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"I  suppose  he  wanted  to  finish  translating 
the  Bible,"  gravely  remarked  Paul,  "  and  he 
couldn't  find  a  better  place." 

"It  was  quiet  enough  there,"  remarked 
Stephen. — "  Please  go  on,  father." 

"  Rome,  having  rid  herself  of  the  Re- 
former, thought  she  had  extinguished  the 
new  heresy,  but  it  was  not  long  before  a 
great  change  took  place.  Death  removed 
the  pope  who  had  put  Luther  under  the 
ban ;  troubles  broke  out  in  Spain  and  com- 
pelled Charles  V.  to  recross  the  Pyrenees; 
war  was  declared  between  Charles  and  Fran- 
cis I. ;  and,  as  if  this  were  not  enough  to 
engross  the  emperor's  attention,  the  Turk 
Solyman  invaded  Hungary.  Charles,  thus 
attacked  on  all  sides,  found  .himself  com- 
pelled to  let  Luther  alone. 

"In  the  convent  of  the  Augustines,  at 
Wittemberg,  Luther's  influence  was  felt, 
though  he  was  not  within  its  walls.  A 
zealous  monk  named  Gabriel,  who  filled  the 
office  of  college-preacher,  called  loudly  for 
reform.  He  bravely  attacked  the  mass,  de- 
claring that  Christ  instituted  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar  in  remembrance  of  his  dea,th, 


MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  283 

and  not  to  make  it  an  object  of  worship. 
'  To  bow  down  to  it  is  idolatry,'  exclaimed 
this  monk ;  and  his  brethren  heard  him 
with  approbation.  Luther  himself  had  said, 
'  Henceforth  I  will  say  no  more  private 
masses;'  they  resolved  to  follow  his  ex- 
ample." 

"  I  do  not  know  what  you  mean  by 
'  mass/  "  said  Maggie. 

"  Mass  is  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church," 
said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  What  is  high  mass  ?"  inquired  Josie. 

"  When  the  service  is  performed  with 
music,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 

"  Father,  Luther  did  not  think  as  we  do 
about  the  Lord's  Supper,"  said  Stephen. 

"  What  did  he  believe,  Stephen  ?" 

"  Why,  he  seemed  to  believe  that  Christ 
was  in  some  way  present  in  the  bread  and 
wine — his  real  body  and  blood." 

"  Do  the  Romanists  really  believe  that  ?" 
exclaimed  Paul,  with  surprise. 

"  Yes,  Paul ;  the  Romanists  believe  that 
when  the  priest  pronounces  the  words  of 
consecration  the  bread  and  the  wine  are 


284  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

changed  into  the  body  and  the  blood  of 
Christ.  The  sacrifice  of  the  mass  is  not 
considered  very  different  from  the  sacrifice 
offered  by  Christ  on  the  cross,  but  is  rather, 
in  their  eyes,  a  repeating  of  this  sacrifice, 
Christ  offering  himself  again  through  the 
hands  of  the  priests." 

Mrs.  Arnold  opened  the  Bible  and  read: 

" '  Nor  yet  that  he  should  offer  himself 
often,  as  the  high  priest  entereth  into  the 
holy  place  every  year  with  blood  of  others ; 
for  then  must  he  often  have  suffered  since 
the  foundation  of  the  world :  but  now  once, 
in  the  end  of  the  world,  hath  he  appeared  to 
put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself. 
And  as  it  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die, 
but  after  this  the  judgment :  so  Christ  was 
once  offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many ;  and 
unto  them  that  look  for  him  shall  he  appear 
the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation.' " 

"  Once  for  all,"  said  Mr.  Arnold,  "  is  the 
Bible  teaching,  but  this  is  not  the  teaching 
of  the  Romish  Church." 

"  Luther  believed  in  consubstantiation," 
said  Stephen. 

"  What's  that  ?"  inquired  Maggie. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  285 

Mr.  Arnold  did  not,  as  usual,  leave  Stephen 
to  explain,  but  he  answered  Maggie  as  simply 
as  he  could,  telling  her  that  Luther  believed 
that  the  body  and  the  blood  of  Christ  were 
present  with  the  bread  and  the  wine,  while 
the  Romanists  believed  that  the  bread  and 
the  wine  were  changed  into  the  very  body 
and  the  blood  of  Christ. 

"  There  are  different  kinds  of  masses," 
continued  Mr.  Arnold.  "A  high,  or  solemn, 
mass  is  celebrated  with  the  assistance  of  a 
deacon  arid  a  sub-deacon,  and  is  sung  by 
choristers ;  a  low  mass  is  one  in  which  no 
part  is  sung,  and  at  which  the  priest  has  no 
assistant  but  his  clerk.  At  mass  the  priests 
wear  different  colors  to  indicate  the  different 
festivals — red  for  the  feast  of  martyrs,  pur- 
ple for  penitential  times,  black  for  masses 
for  the  dead.  Masses  are  sometimes  said 
for  avoiding  danger,  for  obtaining  special 
favors — as  for  the  recovery  of  health — or 
for  any  special  purposes." 

"  The  Romanists  do  not  seem  to  care  what 
the  Bible  teaches,"  remarked  Paul,  in  his 
thoughtful  way. 

"You   remember  the  monk  Gabriel  and 


286  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

his  brethren  in  the  convent  protested  against 
private  masses.  But  the  prior  set  his  au- 
thority against  the  rest,  and  a  great  excite- 
ment spread  through  the  town.  The  elector 
ordered  the  monks  to  be  kept  on  bread  and 
water,  in  order  to  reduce  them  to  obedience, 
and  a  deputation  of  professors — among  whom, 
was  Melanchthon — went  to  the  convent  and 
exhorted  the  monks  to  desist  from  all  inno- 
vations, or,  at  least,  to  wait  the  course  of 
events." 

"  Did  they  give  it  up  ?"  asked  Josie. 

"  No ;  it  only  rekindled  their  zeal.  They 
appealed  to  Scripture,  to  the  spiritual  dis- 
cernment of  believers  and  to  the  impartial 
judgment  of  divines,  and  two  days  after, 
handed  in  a  declaration  in  writing.  The 
professors  were  soon  convinced  that  the 
monks  had  the  truth  on  their  side,  and  after 
much  hesitation  they  took  a  bold  course. 

"  On  the  20th  of  October  the  university 
reported  to  the  elector,  after  setting  forth  the 
abuses  of  the  mass.  '  Let  Your  Electoral 
Highness,'  said  they,  '  put  an  end  to  all  cor- 
ruption, lest  in  the  day  of  judgment  Christ 
should  apply  to  us  the  rebuke  he  once  pro- 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  287 

nounced  upon  Capernaum.'  Thus  it  was  no 
longer  a  handful  of  obscure  monks  who 
spoke :  it  was  the  university,  the  great  school 
of  national  instruction ;  once  the  agency 
employed  to  quell  the  spirit  of  the  Reforma- 
tion, it  was  now  about  to  spread  it  far  and 
wide. 

"The  elector  was  astounded.  He  intended 
to  restore  order  among  a  few  refractory 
monks,  and,  lo !  the  entire  university,  with 
Melanchthon  at  their  head,  stood  up  to  de- 
fend them.  The  Reformation  was  advan- 
cing with  rapid  strides. 

"  Frederick  made  some  efforts  to  arrest  it. 
'  Do  not  be  hasty,'  said  he  to  the  divines ; 
'  you  are  too  few  in  number  to  effect  such  a 
change.  If  it  is  well  founded  in  Scripture, 
others  will  be  led  to  see  it,  and  you  will 
have  the  whole  Church  with  you  in  putting 
an  end  to  these  corruptions.  Speak  of  these 
things ;  discuss  and  preach  them  as  much  as 
you  will ;  but  keep  up  the  established  ser- 
vices.' 

"  In  deference  to  the  voice  of  the  revered 
Frederick,  the  mass  for  a  while  continued  to 
hold  its  place. 


288  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  Gabriel  now  attacked  monkery.  '  No 
one  in  the  convent  keeps  God's  command- 
ments. Whoso  enters  a  cloister  enters  into 
the  service  of  the  devil.'  These  were  some 
of  the  strange  expressions  reported  to  the 
prior,  who  took  good  care  not  to  be  present 
in  church  to  hear  them. 

"  Before  long  thirteen  Augustine  monks 
left  the  convent.  Monasticism  was  doomed 
to  fall  before  the  truth  which  came  to  re- 
store liberty  and  truth. 

"The  elector  tried  to  oppose  the  stream, 
but  public  feeling  ran  violently.  Carlstadt, 
who,  like  Luther,  was  zealous,  upright,  fear- 
lessly took  part  in  the  general  ferment. 
'  What  folly,'  he  exclaimed,  '  for  men  to 
think  that  the  Reformation  must  be  left  to 
God's  working !  A  new  order  of  things  is 
opening.  The  strength  of  man  must  be 
brought  in,  and  woe  to  him  who  shall  hold 
back  instead  of  mounting  the  breach  in  the 
cause  of  the  mighty  God !' 

"  Carlstadt  had  already,  with  twelve  of 
his  friends,  celebrated  the  Lord's  Supper 
according  to  the  scriptural  mode.  On  the 
Sunday  before  Christmas  lie  announced 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  289 

from  the  pulpit  that  on  New  Year's  Day 
he  would  give  both  the  bread  and  the  wine 
to  all  who  should  come  to  the  altar." 

"  The  council  resolved  to  interfere,  and 
this  led  Carlstadt  to  celebrate  the  commu- 
nion before  the  appointed  time.  On  Christ- 
mas Day,  1521,  he  preached  on  the  duty 
of  giving  up  the  mass  and  of  receiving  the 
sacrament  under  two  kinds.  You  know  the 
priests  never  gave  the  wine  to  the  people, 
but  only  the  wafer — that  is,  the  thin  pieces 
of  bread  they  use  in  the  sacrament." 

"  I  have  seen  the  priest  in  the  cathedral," 
said  Mrs.  Arnold,  "  hold  a  cup  or  goblet  full 
of  these  wafers,  and  lay  one  on  the  tongue 
of  each  person  kneeling  at  the  altar-railing." 

"  When  the  sermon  was  ended,  Carlstadt 
came  down  to  the  altar  and  said,  'If  any 
one  feels  the  burden  of  his  sins  and  is  hun- 
gering and  thirsting  for  the  grace  of  God, 
let  him  draw  near  and  receive  the  body  and 
the  blood  of  the  Lord.'  Then,  without  ele- 
vating the  host,  he  distributed  to  each  one 
the  bread  and  the  wine,  saying,  '  This  is  the 
cup  of  my  blood,  the  blood  of  the  new  and 
everlasting  covenant.' 

19 


290  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  Carlstadt  met  with  no  opposition.  The 
town  council  of  Wittemberg  issued  regula- 
tions for  the  celebration  of  the  Supper  ac- 
cording to  this  way.  Steps  were  also  taken 
with  regard  to  public  morals,  for  it  was  the 
office  of  the  Reformation  to  re-establish  at 
the  same  time  faith,  Christian  worship  and 
morality. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  a  fierce  con- 
troversy arose  between  Carlstadt  and  Luther. 
These  early  friends  were  separated  by  their 
different  views  on  the  Lord's  Supper.  From 
their  controversy  arose  a  great  division  in 
the  Church.  Carlstadt  was  a  rash  Reformer, 
and  it  was  impossible  for  Luther  to  approve 
of  all  he  did.  At  Orlamunde  he  forcibly 
took  possession  of  a  pulpit,  creating  much 
disorder,  which  Luther  denounced.  He  was 
expelled  from  Saxony  by  order  of  the  elector, 
who  dreaded  lest  the  Reformer  should  go 
too  far.  Afterward,  when  Carlstadt  was  re- 
duced to  extreme  poverty,  Luther  assisted 
him  to  a  home  and  employment  near  Wit- 
temberg, under  condition  that  he  would  not 
utter  his  peculiar  opinions.  But  after  three 
years,  in  1528,  Carlstadt  again  came  forward 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  291 

with  some  violent  publications,  and  to  escape 
the  indignation  of  Luther  he  went  to  Den- 
mark, Strasburg,  and  finally  to  Zurich,  where 
he  was  kindly  received  by  Zwingle.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  was  professor  of  theol- 
ogy at  Basle." 

"  Giving  up  the  mass  was  a  great  step  for- 
ward," said  Mrs.  Arnold. 

"  Yes ;  the  mass  cast  reproach  upon  the 
Son  of  God.  It  exalted  the  priest,  who  was 
thus  given  power  to  produce  at  will  the  sov- 
ereign Creator  of  all  things. 

"Affairs  were  daily  growing  more  serious 
in  Wittemberg.  Carlstadt  poured  contempt 
upon  human  learning,  advising  students  to 
return  to  their  homes  and  resume  the  spade, 
because  man  was  to  eat  bread  in  the  sweat 
of  his  brow. 

"A  firm  hand  and  a  wise  head  were  need- 
ed to  repress  fanatical  excesses,  but  where 
was  the  man  able  to  do  it?  Melanchthon 
was  too  young,  too  deficient  in  firmness. 
The  elector  was  the  most  peaceful  man  of 
his  age ;  the  tranquil  occupations  of  these 
closing  years  of  his  life  were  building 
castles,  adorning  churches  with  the  fine 


292  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

pictures  of  Lucas  Cranach,  improving  the 
chanting  in  the  chapels,  and  promoting  the 
happiness  of  his  subjects.  Is  it  any  won- 
der that  the  cry,  '  Luther !  Luther  !'  rang 
from  one  end  of  Wittemberg  to  the  other? 
"  On  the  3d  of  March,  1522,  Luther  bade 
farewell  to  the  gray  turrets  of  the  Wartburg, 
and  passed  along  the  path  that  wound  to  the 
foot  of  the  mountain.  The  world  which  lay 
stretched  before  him,  and  on  which  he  was 
once  more  about  to  appear,  would  soon,  per- 
haps, ring  with  the  clamors  of  those  who 
sought  his  life.  It  mattered  not:  he  went 
forth  rejoicing,  for  the  Lord  was  with  him." 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

LUTHER  AT  WITTENBERG. 

"  T  UTHER  returned  to  Wittemberg  with 
J-J  a  brave  heart.  He  raised  his  head  as 
the  lion  shakes  his  brindled  mane  when 
roused  to  the  fight. 

" '  The  hour  is  come,'  he  said,  '  when  we 
must  trample  under  foot  the  power  of  Satan 
and  contend  against  the  spirit  of  darkness. 
If  our  adversaries  do  not  flee  from  us,  Christ 
will  know  how  to  compel  them.  We  who 
put  our  trust  in  the  Lord  of  life  and  death 
are  lords  both  of  life  and  death.' 

"The  day  after  his  return  was  Sunday. 
The  doctor,  whom  the  lofty  walls  of  the 
Wartburg  had  for  nearly  a  year  hidden 
from  the  public  eye,  was  about  to  appear  in 
the  pulpit  of  Wittemberg.  '  Luther  is  come 
back !'  '  Luther  is  to  preach  to-day  !'  The 
news  was  repeated  from  one  to  the  other, 
and  people  hurried  to  the  church. 

293 


294  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  Luther  spoke  tenderly  yet  fearlessly. 
During  that  week  he  preached  daily.  He 
took  a  review  of  the  destruction  of  images, 
of  the  institution  of  the  Supper  and  of  many 
other  things.  Crowds  continually  filled  the 
church ;  many  came  from  the  neighboring 
towns  and  villages  to  hear  this  new  Elijah. 
Carlstadt  was  mortified  to  find  his  party  los- 
ing ground  on  the  reappearance  of  Luther. 
Nevertheless,  for  the  sake  of  peace  he  re- 
mained silent,  and  soon  resumed  his  work 
of  teaching  in  the  university. 

"  Luther  withstood  fanaticism  and  restored 
order  at  Wittemberg.  He  continued  to  re- 
side in  the  convent  and  to  wear  the  monas- 
tic habit,  but  held  that^  every  one  who  chose 
to  do  so  was  free  to  lay  it  aside. 

"  No  sooner  was  order  restored  than  Lu- 
ther urged  Melanchthon  to  help  in  the  re- 
vision of  the  New  Testament.  Gladly  he 
complied,  and  many  were  the  hours  the  two 
friends  spent  together  studying  and  trans- 
lating the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  work  of 
printing  was  carried  on  with  great  activity ; 
three  presses  were  constantly  employed,  and 
ten  thousand  sheets  were  struck  off  every 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  295 

day.  Soon  every  German  could  at  small  cost 
obtain  the  New  Testament  in  the  German 
language.  The  great  work  of  the  sixteenth 
century  was  now  pla.ced  on  a  rock  whence 
nothing  could  dislodge  it.  The  Testament 
had  an  immense  sale.  Before  the  first  edi- 
tion was  out,  Luther  was  already  at  work  on 
a  translation  of  the  Old  Testament.  It  was 
issued  in  portions  as  he  finished  it,  to  gratify 
the  impatience  of  the  public  and  to  make 
the  purchase  easy  for  the  poor. 

"  But  if  the  Bible  was  thus  joyfully  wel- 
comed by  such  as  loved  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  it  was  scornfully  rejected  by  such  as 
preferred  the  traditions  and  the  ordinances 
of  men.  This  publication  by  Luther  was 
the  signal  of  violent  persecution.  Rome 
trembled  and  ignorant  priests  were  dismayed 
to  learn  that  the  people  were  reading,  and 
would  be  able  to  discuss  with  them,  the  pre- 
cepts of  the  Lord.  The  king  of  England 
denounced  the  work  to  the  elector  Frederick 
and  to  Duke  George  of  Saxony.  Before 
this  the  duke  had  commanded  his  subjects 
to  deliver  up  every  copy  of  Luther's  New 
Testament  to  the  magistrate;  Bavaria,  Bran- 


296  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

denburg,  Austria  and  all  the  states  in  the 
interest  of  Rome  passed  similar  decrees.  In 
some  places  bonfires  composed  of  the  sacred 
books  were  lighted  in  the  public  squares. 
Thus  did  Rome  attempt  to  repress  the  relig- 
ion of  Jesus  Christ. 

"  But  what  power  can  stay  when  the  Lord 
works?  He  used  for  making  known  his 
word  the  very  hands  that  were  trying  to 
destroy  it.  The  Roman  divines,  since  they 
could  not  stop  the  circulation  of  the  Reform- 
er's works,  themselves  put  forth  a  translation 
of  the  New  Testament.  It  was  no  other  than 
Luther's,  here  and  there  altered  by  the  new 
editors.  No  hindrance  was  offered  to  the 
reading  of  it.  Rome  had  not  yet  found  out 
that  wherever  the  word  of  God  took  root  its 
own  power  began  to  totter. 

"  The  publication  of  the  Bible  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  people  was  a  great  event,  and 
wrought  an  entire  change  in  society.  The 
Reformation  seemed  now  to  pass  from  the 
college  and  to  take  its  proper  place — in  the 
homes  of  the  people. 

"  Luther  had  been  about  three  months  at 
Wittemberg  when  a  rumor  reached  him  that 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STOEIES.  297 

one  of  the  greatest  monarchs  of  Christen- 
dom, Henry  VIII.  of  England,  had  risen 
up  against  him.  Henry  was  then  in  his 
thirty-first  year.  Vehement  in  temper,  he 
was  ready  to  bear  down  on  whatever  stood 
in  the  way  of  his  passions.  At  the  time  he 
first  heard  of  Luther  his  indignation  burst 
forth,  and  no  sooner  did  the  decree  of  the 
diet  of  Worms  reach  England  than  he  gave 
orders  that  the  pontiff's  bull  against  the  Re- 
former's writings  should  be  carried  into  exe- 
cution. He  also  employed  his  pen  against 
Luther.  In  his  vanity  the  king  imagined 
his  pen  to  be  a  powerful  weapon,  and  he  had 
many  flatterers  to  foster  this  idea.  He  had 
no  doubt  that  he  was  inspired  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  that  infallibility  was  vested  in 
his  own  person. 

"  For  a  period  of  eight  centuries  the  em- 
perors and  the  kings  of  Europe  had  been 
under  the  patronage  of  the  pope.  Two 
leading  desires  at  this  time  agitated  the 
minds  of  the  Germans.  On  one  hand,  the 
people  aspired  after  a  revival  of  the  faith ; 
on  the  other,  they  demanded  a  national  gov- 
ernment wherein  the  German  states  might 


298  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

be  represented,  and  which  should  serve  as  a 
counterpoise  to  the  imperial  power.  The 
elector  Frederick  had  urged  this  demand  at 
the  time  of  the  election  of  Charles  V.,  and 
a  national  government  had,  in  consequence, 
been  chosen.  Thus,  while  Luther  was  re- 
forming the  Church,  Frederick  was  reform- 
ing the  State. 

"But  political  disorders  brought  into  peril 
the  reformation  of  both  Church  and  State. 
The  emperor  and  the  pope  had  combined 
against  the  Reformation,  and  it  might  appear 
to  be  doomed  to  fall  beneath  the  strokes  of 
such  powerful  enemies.  Policy,  interest, 
ambition,  obliged  Charles  V.  and  Leo  X.  to 
extirpate  it.  The  foe  that  Rome  had  sworn 
to  crush  stood  up  in  the  confidence  of  courage 
and  strength.  The  contest  must  be  sharp ; 
blood  must  flow. 

"Just  at  this  time  war  broke  out  between 
Francis  I.  of  France  and  Charles  V. 

"  I  must  tell  you  about  a  young  Spaniard, 
at  this  time  in  the  army  of  Charles,  who 
afterward  became  famous  as  the  founder  of 
the  order  of  the  Jesuits.  His  name  was  Ig- 
natius Loyola,  or  Don  Inigo  Lopez  de  Re- 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  299 

calde.  He  was  brought  up  at  the  court  of 
Ferdinand  the  Catholic  and  trained  in  all 
the  vices  and  frivolities  peculiar  to  his  posi- 
tion. He  was  wounded  in  battle,  and  during 
a  long  sickness  he  amused  himself  with 
Spanish  legends  of  the  saints.  His  fancy 
was  seized,  and  in  a  fit  of  mystical  devotion 
he  renounced  the  world.  Making  a  visit  to 
the  shrine  of  the  Virgin,  he  laid  his  arms  on 
her  altar  and  vowed  himself  her  knight. 
Then,  assuming  a  pilgrim's  garb,  he  set  forth, 
performing  deeds  of  benevolence  which  won 
him  great  renown,  and  finally  travelled  to 
Rome  to  receive  the  pope's  blessing.  He 
spent  some  time  in  a  convent  of  the  Domin- 
icans, giving  himself  up  to  the  most  rigid 
penances.  Seven  hours  he  passed  on  his 
knees,  and  thrice  every  day  he  scourged 
himself.  At  midnight  he  used  to  rise  and 
pray.  He  allowed  his  hair  and  his  nails  to 
grow,  and  no  former  friends  could  have 
recognized  in  the  pale  and  lank  visage  of 
the  monk  the  young  and  brilliant  knight. 
Obtaining  no  relief  of  mind  from  the  various 
ordinances  of  the  Church,  he  began,  as  Lu- 
ther had  done,  to  doubt  their  efficacy.  But, 


300  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

instead  of  turning  from  man's  works  and 
seeking  the  finished  work  of  Christ,  he  con- 
sidered whether  he  should  not  once  more 
plunge  into  the  vanities  of  the  age.  His 
soul  panted  for  that  world  which  he  had 
solemnly  renounced,  but  he  recoiled  awe- 
struck. 

"  And  was  there  at  this  moment  any  dif- 
ference between  the  monk  of  Manresa  and 
the  monk  of  Erfurth?  Yes,  in  some  points; 
but  their  condition  of  soul  was  alike.  Both 
were  deeply  sensible  of  their  sins ;  both 
sought  peace  with  God  and  desired  to  have 
the  assurance  of  it  in  their  hearts.  If  an- 
other Staupitz,  with  the  Bible  in  his  hand, 
had  presented  himself  at  the  convent  of 
Manresa,  perhaps  Loyola  might  have  been 
known  to  us  as  the  Luther  of  Spain.  These 
two  remarkable  men  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, the  founders  of  two  opposing  spiritual 
empires  which  for  three  centuries  have 
warred  one  against  the  other,  were  at  this 
period  brothers,  and  perhaps,  if  they  had  been 
thrown  together,  Luther  and  Loyola  would 
each  have  rushed  into  the  other's  embrace 
and  mingled  their  tears  and  their  prayers. 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  301 

"But  from  this  moment  the  two  monks 
were  to  take  opposite  courses.  Luther  looked 
to  Christ ;  Loyola  did  but  turn  inward  on 
himself.  He  lived  the  life  of  a  recluse,  and 
dreams  and  visions  became  the  moving-powers 
of  his  life.  Several  young  men  admired  his 
zeal  and  became  his  disciples.  One  of  these 
was  the  famous  Francis  Xavier,  afterward 
known  as  '  the  Apostle  of  India.'  Loyola, 
gathering  others  around  him,  instituted  an 
order,  of  which  he  became  president.  To 
direct  and  stimulate  it,  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  Rome.  This  was  the  order  of  the  Jesuits 
— the  mightiest  by  far  of  all  such  institu- 
tions of  Rome,  and  the  one  which  has  more 
than  once  shaken  the  nations  of  Europe." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

TROUBLES  IN   GERMANY. 

"  T  EO  X.  had  been  greatly  pleased  by  the 
J^  intelligence  of  the  edict  of  Worms  and 
of  Luther's  captivity,  and  in  sign  of  his 
triumph  had  caused  the  Reformer  to  be  pub- 
licly burnt  in  effigy,  together  with  his  writ- 
ings. Soon  after  this  Leo  died,  and  the  pope 
who  excommunicated  the  Reformation  was 
followed  to  his  burial  by  a  crowd  that  gave 
utterance  to  curses  because  he  had  died  with- 
out the  sacraments.  Poor  man !  death  came 
so  suddenly  that  he  had  not  time  for  them. 
He  was  only  forty-seven  years  of  age. 

"  The  next  pope  was  an  old  man,  upright, 
industrious,  learned,  pious,  sincere  in  char- 
acter and  very  frugal  in  his  tastes.  In  the 
palace  which  Leo  had  filled  with  luxury  and 
dissipation  the  old  housekeeper  of  Adrian 
VI.  effected  quite  a  change.  In  the  city  also 
Adrian  tried  to  work  a  change,  banishing 
the  profane,  the  perjurers  and  the  usurers. 

302 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  303 

It  was  no  easy  task,  for  these  classes  com- 
posed a  considerable  proportion  of  the  pop- 
ulation. These  measures  aroused  the  hatred 
of  the  Romans  against  Adrian.  We  are  told 
that  the  old  pontiff  sighed  deeply  and  ex- 
claimed, '  Oh  how  wretched  is  the  position 
of  the  popes,  since  they  have  not  even  liberty 
to  do  right !' 

"We  soon  hear  of  designs  against  Luther, 
and  of  clouds  again  gathering  in  the  Ref- 
ormation sky.  In  his  hereditary  states  of 
Austria,  Ferdinand  had  already  commenced 
a  cruel  persecution  against  those  who  were 
favorable  to  the  Reformation.  Luther's  re- 
appearance and  activity  at  Wittemberg  had 
revived  the  bygone  hatred.  '  Now  that  we 
know  where  to  lay  hands  on  him,'  said  Duke 
George,  '  why  not  carry  into  effect  the  sen- 
tence of  Worms  ?'  In  the  diet  that  met  at 
Nuremberg  in  December,  1522,  the  mouth- 
piece of  the  pope  insisted  that  Luther  should 
be  put  to  death.  He  reminded  that  vast 
assembly  that  John  Huss  and  Jerome  of 
Prague  had  been  punished  with  death,  and 
called  upon  them  to  follow  'the  glorious 
example '  of  their  ancestors  and  by  the  help 


304  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

of  God  and  St.  Peter  to  gain  a  signal  victory 
over  this  'serpent  of  hell.' 

"  But,  while  threatening  sounds  were  heard 
at'  the  diet,  the  gospel  was  sounding  in  the 
churches  of  Nuremberg,  and  crowds  were 
gathering  to  hear  it.  The  diet  at  first  de- 
cided to  arrest  the  preachers,  but  the  town 
council  came  to  the  rescue,  declaring  that  if 
the  diet  imprisoned  their  preachers  force 
should  be  employed  to  set  them  free.  The 
project  was  abandoned. 

"Adrian,  little  used  to  the  ways  of  the 
world,  by  admitting  that  Home  had  been 
for  many  years  the  scene  of  corruptions  and 
abominations,  injured  the  cause  he  wished  to 
help.  The  supporters  of  Rome  blushed  at 
these  unlooked-for  words,  knowing  that  these 
admissions  were  too  true,  while  the  friends 
of  the  Reformation  rejoiced  to  hear  Rome 
proclaiming  her  corruption.  Who  could 
doubt  that  Luther  had  truth  on  his  side, 
now  that  the  pope  proclaimed  it? 

"  The  corruptions  of  Rome  were  set  forth 
at  great  length,  and  the  council  declared  that 
if  they  were  not  reduced  within  a  limited 
time  they  would  consult  together  and  seek 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  305 

some  other  means  of  deliverance  from  suf- 
ferings and  wrongs.  They  demanded  a  free 
council  and  decreed  that  until  such  council 
should  assemble  nothing  should  be  preached 
but  the  simple  gospel,  and  nothing  should 
be  put  forth  in  print  without  the  sanction 
of  a  certain  number  of  men  of  character 
and  learning.  What  an  advance  since  the 
diet  of  Worms !  The  decree  of  this  diet 
of  Nuremburg  was  the  first  victory  gained 
by  the  Reformation,  and  was  the  presage 
of  future  triumphs. 

"  Great  was  the  indignation  among  the 
pope's  council.  What !  it  is  not  enough  to 
have  to  bear  with  a  pope  who  disappoints  the 
expectations  of  the  Romans,  in  whose  pal- 
ace no  sound  of  song  or  amusement  is  ever 
heard,  but,  in  addition  to  this,  secular  princes 
are  to  be  suffered  to  hold  a  language  that 
Rome  abhors,  and  to  refuse  to  deliver  up 
the  monk  of  Wittemberg  to  the  execution- 
er? Adrian  himself  was  indignant,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  the  effects  of  his  anger 
were  seen.  Princes,  in  fear,  began  to  make 
concessions.  Persecution  was  renewed.  Lu- 
ther trembled  for  Germany  and  sought  to 

20 


306  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

allay  the  tempest.  Duke  George  openly 
took  the  lead  in  the  persecution,  but  he  was 
not  content  to  carry  it  on  among  his  own 
subjects :  he  desired  to  see  it  extend  to 
electoral  Saxony,  and  he  labored  hard  to 
move  the  elector  Frederick  and  Duke  John. 
Failing  in  this,  he  increased  his  severities 
against  such  as  lay  within  his  reach.  He 
imprisoned  the  monks  and  priests  who  in- 
clined to  Luther's  doctrine,  and  in  many 
ways  tried  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  truth. 

"  In  the  Low  Countries,  under  the  imme- 
diate rule  of  Charles  V.,  persecution  broke 
out  with  the  most  violence;  and  it  was  at 
Brussels,  July  1,  1523,  that  the  first  mar- 
tyrs of  the  Reformation  laid  down  their 
lives  for  the  gospel. 

"  In  the  midst  of  his  violent  measures 
Pope  Adrian  died,  and  the  Romans,  over- 
joyed at  being  rid  of  him,  suspended  a 
crown  of  flowers  at  the  door  of  his  physi- 
cian, with  an  inscription :  '  To  the  saviour 
his  country.'  This  was  in  September,  1523. 

"Adrian's  successor  was  Julio  de  Medici, 
cousin  to  Leo  X. ;  he  took  the  name  Clem- 
ent VII.  After  the  day  of  his  election 


MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES,  307 

all  ideas  of  religious  reformation  were  at  an 
end.  The  new  pope  cared  only  to  maintain 
the  privileges  of  the  papacy  and  to  employ 
its  resources  for  his  own  enriching.  Clem- 
ent sent  to  Germany  the  ablest  prelate 
of  his  court,  Cardinal  Campeggio.  He  did 
not  journey  far  without  discovering  that  the 
reign  of  the  papacy  was  drawing  to  its  close ; 
in  some  places  he  received  no  more  attention 
than  if  a  private  individual. 

"  The  diet  had  met  in  session  at  Nurem- 
berg in  January,  1525.  Campeggio  de- 
manded that  the  Reformation  be  put  down 
by  force.  The  princes  and  the  deputies 
gave  vent  to  their  indignation,  and  asked 
the  legate  what  had  become  of  the  memo- 
rial of  grievances  presented  ;,  r-ie  pope  by 
the  people  of  Germany.  legate,  act- 

ing upon  his  instructions,  pretended  great 
surprise,  and  said  it  had  been  received  in 
Rome,  but  had  never  been  officially  com- 
municated, and  he  could  never  believe  that 
so  unseemly  a  paper  could  have  come  from 
them.  The  diet  was  stung  by  this  reply, 
and  straightway  prepared  an  answer  for 
the  pope.  They  demanded  a  convocation 


308  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

in  Germany  of  a  general  council  of  Chris- 
tendom. 

"The  friends  of  the  Reformation  did 
not  stop  here.  A  council  might  never  be 
called ;  and  if  it  were,  it  would  be  composed 
of  bishops.  In  its  place  let  a  national  assem- 
bly be  called,  charged  with  the  defence  of 
the  popular  interests.  The  anger  and  alarm 
of  the  pope  was  great.  If  this  step  be  taken, 
Germany  will  be  saved ;  but  Home  is  ruined. 
A  consistory  was  hastily  called  together,  and 
one  who  watched  the  dismay  of  the  senators 
might  have  thought  the  Germans  were  in 
full  march  upon  Rome. 

"A  conference  was  held  for  fifteen  days 
in  the  town-hall  of  Ratisbon.  The  legate 
harrowed  its  members  with  thrilling  narra- 
tions of  the  dangers  resulting  from  the  Ref- 
ormation, and  called  upon  all  to  arise  and 
rescue  the  Church  by  uprooting  heresy. 
The  conference  ended  with  a  ball,  which 
continued  till  daybreak.  Surely  such  a  rec- 
reation was  needed  by  this  Catholic  assembly 
convened  by  the  papacy  to  resist  the  infant 
Reformation.  They  had  hard  work  before 
them,  for  they  had  agreed  to  destroy  all 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STOEIES.  309 

heretics.  The  princes  and  the  bishops  bound 
themselves  to  enforce  the  edicts  of  Worms 
and  Nuremberg,  to  allow  no  innovations  in 
public  worship,  to  tolerate  no  married  priest, 
to  recall  the  students  of  their  states  who 
might  be  residing  in  Wittemberg,  and  to 
employ  all  means  in  their  power  for  the 
extirpation  of  heresy.  We  have  not  time 
to  enter  into  the  politics  of  the  times." 

"  Oh  no !"  exclaimed  Maggie ;  "  we  don't 
want  to  hear  politics.  They  are  so  dry !" 

Mr.  Arnold  smiled,  and  in  as  few  words 
as  possible  told  them  that  this  conference 
at  Ratisbon  violated  the  unity  of  Germany 
and  led  to  separations  which  long  bore  bitter 
fruit.  After  a  time  the  Ratisbon  Reforma- 
tion, as  it  was  called,  became  an  object  of 
public  ridicule.  Really,  after  all,  Campeg- 
gio  laid  the  train  which  was  to  bring  little 
less  than  destruction  upon  the  liberties  of 
Germany.  From  that  hour  the  cause  of 
Luther  was  no  longer  of  a  nature  purely 
religious,  and  the  contest  with  the  Wittem- 
berg monk  ranked  among  the  political  events 
of  Europe.  Luther  would  pass  into  eclipse, 
and  Charles  V.,  the  pope  and  the  reigning 


310  MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

princes  \\ould  be  the  chief  actors  on  the 
stage  where  was  to  be  performed  the  grand 
drama  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

"  To  humble  his  rival,  Francis  I.,  Charles 
V.  did  not  hesitate  to  sacrifice  the  independ- 
ence of  the  empire.  He  issued  an  edict,  in 
which  he  declared  that  to  the  pope  alone 
belonged  the  right  to  convoke  a  council. 
He  also  urged  that  without  delay  the  decree 
of  Worms  be  carried  into  effect.  Thus 
from  Spain  and  from  Italy  was  struck  the 
blow  which  arrested  the  development  of  the 
gospel  in  Germany.  Ferdinand  and  Cam- 
peggio  descended  the  Danube  from  Ratisbon 
to  Vienna,  and  during  their  journey  mutu- 
ally pledged  each  other  to  cruel  measures. 
Instantly  a  persecution  was  set  on  foot  in 
the  Austrian  provinces. 

"  While  the  Romanists  were  unsheathing 
the  sword  against  the  Reformation,  Luther 
and  Carlstadt  were  contending  about  the 
Lord's  Supper,  which  ended  by  Luther's 
withdrawing  his  followers  into  an  exclusive 
Lutheranism. 

"  The  league  of  Ratisbon  and  the  perse- 
cutions that  followed  close  upon  it  created  a 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  311 

powerful  reaction.  The  Germans  were  not 
disposed  to  surrender  that  word  of  God  of 
which  they  had  recovered  possession ;  and 
when  orders  to  that  effect  came  to  them 
from  Charles  V.,  though  backed  by  papal 
bulls  and  by  the  fagots  of  Ferdinand  and 
of  other  Catholic  princes,  they  returned  for 
an  answer,  '  We  will  not  give  it  up.' 

"About  this  time  Prince  Albert  of  Bran- 
denburg was  converted.  He  stood  at  the 
head  of  the  monastic  knights  of  Germany. 
He  had  been  to  the  diet  of  Nuremberg  to 
invoke  the  aid  of  the  empire  against  Poland, 
and  returned  broken  in  spirit  on  account 
of  the  truth  which  he  had  heard  and  read. 
He  was  convinced  that  his  monk's  vow  was 
contrary  to  the  word  of  God.  He  soon  be- 
came the  protector  of  evangelical  doctrine 
in  the  towns  of  Poland.  Luther,  writing 
of  him  to  the  bishop  of  Samland,  said :  '  In 
Albert,  that  illustrious  hero,  you  have  a 
prince  full  of  zeal  for  the  gospel,  and  now 
the  people  of  Prussia  are  in  possession  of 
the  gospel  in  all  its  brightness.' 

"Luther  accomplished  a  great  thing  by 
wresting  learning  from  the  hands  of  priests 


312  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

who  had  monopolized  it.  He  insisted  upon 
the  study  of  literature  and  of  languages. 
The  Reformation  gave  a  mighty  impulse  to 
literature,  and  also  served  to  elevate  the  arts, 
though  Protestantism  has  often  been  re- 
proached as  their  enemy.  '  Next  to  theol- 
ogy/ said  Luther,  '  it  is  to  music  that  I  give 
the  highest  place  and  the  greatest  honor.' 
Poetry  derived  from  the  Reformation  its  lof- 
tiest inspiration,  and  religious  songs  soothed 
the  souls  of  many  sufferers  in  the  infant 
Church.  Painting  was,  of  all  the  arts,  the 
least  affected  by  the  Reformation ;  yet  Lu- 
cas Cranach  and  Albert  Diirer  had  their 
part  in  the  great  work. 

"Thus  everything  progressed — arts,  liter- 
ature, purity  of  worship  and  the  minds  of 
prince  and  people.  Alas !  in  a  moment 
clouds  again  gathered  in  the  sky  of  Ger- 
many, and  a  political  ferment  enveloped 
the  nation  in  darkness.  An  insurrection 
of  the  peasantry  took  place,  and  by  some 
the  revolt  was  attributed  to  the  teaching 
of  the  Reformers.  The  insurrection  com- 
menced in  the  districts  of  the  Black  For- 
est, and  spread  with  great  rapidity.  Luther 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  313 

tried  to  still  the  tempest,  but  in  vain.  The 
commotion  spread  from  country  to  country, 
until,  throughout  the  empire,  a  widespread 
revolution  was  in  full  career.  The  rebels 
were  at  last  defeated,  but  not  until  fifty 
thousand  had  perished;  and  almost  every- 
where in  Southern  Germany  the  people  lost 
what  little  liberty  they  had  formerly  pos- 
sessed. Philip,  landgrave  of  Hesse,  took 
up  arms,  and  Duke  John,  the  elector's 
brother,  Duke  George  of  Saxony  and  Duke 
Henry  of  Brunswick.  This  rebellion  was 
the  result  of  secular  and  ecclesiastical  op- 
pression. 

"  Luther  was  violently  excited.  He  freely 
used  his  pen,  but,  not  satisfied  with  that,  he 
left  Wittemberg  and  traversed  some  of  the 
districts  where  the  agitation  was  the  greatest. 
He  preached,  he  labored  to  soften  the  hearts 
of  his  hearers,  and,  being  strengthened  from 
above  in  his  work,  he  guided,  quieted  and 
brought  back  into  their  accustomed  channels 
the  impetuous  and  overflowing  torrents. 

"  The  Reformed  preachers  everywhere  ex- 
erted a  similar  influence.  The  leaders  of  the 
sedition  were  violent  fanatics,  and  the  trou- 


314  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

bles  they  fermented  left  a  deep  and  enduring 
impression  on  the  minds  of  that  age.  Na- 
tions were  struck  with  consternation.  The 
masses,  who  had  sought  in  the  Reformation 
nothing  but  political  freedom,  withdrew  from 
it  of  their  own  accord  when  they  saw  that 
spiritual  liberty  was  the  only  liberty  it  of- 
fered. Luther's  opposition  to  the  peasants 
involved  the  loss  of  the  favor  of  the  people. 
It  was  not  long  before  a  seeming  tranquillity 
was  restored,  and  the  silence  of  terror  suc- 
ceeded to  the  outbreaks  of  enthusiasm  and 
sedition. 

"  The  revolt  was  quelled,  but  the  Refor- 
mation lived.  The  revolt  was  a  thing  of 
earthly  origin ;  the  Reformation  was  from 
above. 

"While  the  tumults  of  which  we  have 
been  speaking  were  raging,  the  peaceable 
Frederick,  elector  of  Saxony,  the  man  whom 
God  had  raised  up  to  defend  the  Reforma- 
tion against  external  dangers,  was  descend- 
ing to  the  tomb.  His  heart  was  wrung  by 
the  atrocities  which  stained  the  progress  of 
the  war  of  the  peasants.  '  Oh,'  cried  he, 
with  a  deep  sigh,  '  if  it  were  the  will  of  God, 


MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  315 

I  would  gladly  be  released  from  this  life.  I 
see  nothing  left,  neither  love,  truth  nor  faith 
nor  anything  good,  upon  this  earth.'  It  was 
the  will  of  God  to  release  him,  and  he  quietly 
turned  from  the  prevailing  confusions  and 
prepared  for  his  departure.  He  had  taken 
up  his  abode  in  the  castle  of  Lochau.  He 
freely  conversed  with  Spalatin,  and  confessed 
his  sins  in  the  presence  of  God.  The  next 
day  he  received  the  communion  under  two 
kinds.  No  member  of  his  family  was  pres- 
ent :  his  brother  and  his  nephew  had  both 
left  with  the  army;  but,  according  to  the 
ancient  custom  of  those  times,  his  domestics 
stood  round  the  bed ;  gazing  in  tears  upon 
the  venerable  prince  whom  it  had  been  their 
privilege  to  serve.  '  My  little  children,'  he 
said,  tenderly,  '  if  I  have  offended  any  one 
of  you,  forgive  me,  for  the  love  of  God ;  for 
we  princes  often  offend  against  such  little 
ones,  and  it  ought  not  so  to  be.'  Feeling 
his  death  rapidly  approaching,  he  destroyed 
a  will  he  had  made  some  years  before,  in 
which  he  had  .commended  his  soul  to  'the 
Mother  of  God,'  and  dictated  another,  in 
which  he  cast  himself  on  the  spotless  and 


316  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

availing  merit  of  Jesus  Christ  'for  the  for- 
giveness of  his  sins,'  and  expressed  his  firm 
assurance  that '  he  was  redeemed  by  the  pre- 
cious blood  of  his  beloved  Saviour.'  '  This 
done,  he  added,  'My  strength  fails  me;  I 
can  say  no  more;'  and  at  five  the  same 
evening  he  '  fell  asleep.' ' 


CHAPTEE    XVIII. 

LUTHER'S  MARRIAGE.— THE  DIET  OF  SPIRES. 

''  rpHE  next  thing  we  hear  of  Luther  is 
J-    his  marriage,"  said  Mr.  Arnold. 
"  Tell  us  about  it,  please,"  said  Maggie. 
Mr.  Arnold  opened  the  History  : 
"  In  the  monastery  of  Nimptsch,  in  Saxony, 
resided,  in  the  year  1523,  nine  nuns  who  had 
devoted  themselves  to  reading  God's  word, 
and  had  discerned  the  contrast  that  existed 
between   the   Christian   life   and   the   daily 
routine  of  their  cloister.     As  soon  as  their 
minds  were  thus  enlightened  they  wrote  to 
their  relations   that  the   salvation   of  their 
souls    required   their   leaving    the   cloister. 
The  parents,  fearing  trouble,  repelled  them 
with  harshness.     The  poor  nuns  were  over- 
whelmed with  distress.     At  first  they  were 
too  timid  to  take  a  bold  step,  but  at  last 
their  horror  of  the  papal  services  prevailed, 
and  they  all  escaped  from  the  nunnery. 
"  Two  respected  and  pious  citizens  of  Tor- 
sir 


318  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

gau  conducted  them  in  their  wagon  to  the 
old  convent  of  the  Augustines,  where  Lu- 
ther resided.  '  This  is  not  my  doing/  said 
Luther  as  he  received  them,  '  but  would  to 
God  I  could  in  this  way  give  liberty  to  en- 
slaved consciences  and  empty  the  cloisters 
of  their  tenants !' 

"  Several  families  offered  to  receive  the 
nuns  into  their  houses.  In  this  way  they 
found  homes.  One  of  them,  Catherine  Bora, 
found  a  welcome  in  the  family  of  the  bur- 
gomaster of  Wittemberg.  At  that  time  Lu- 
ther had  more  thought  of  ascending  the 
scaffold  than  he  had  of  ascending  the  steps 
of  the  altar.  Many  months  after  this  he 
answered  those  who  spoke  of  marriage : 
'  God  may  change  my  purpose,  if  such  be 
his  pleasure,  but  at  present  I  have  no  thought 
of  taking  a  wife.  Not  that  I  am  insensible 
to  the  charms  of  a  married  life :  I  am  nei- 
ther wood  nor  stone ;  but  I  every  day  ex- 
pect the  punishment  of  a  heretic.' 

"All  was  moving  onward  in  the  Church, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  the  last  monk 
quitted  the  Augustine  convent  and  Luther's 
footsteps  alone  re-echoed  in  the  long  corri- 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  319 

dors.  He  sat  silent  and  alone  in  the  refec- 
tory, so  lately  vocal  with  the  babble  of  the 
monks.  The  convent,  indeed,  had  ceased  to 
have  any  existence.  Luther,  toward  the  end 
of  December,  1524,  sent  to  the  elector  the 
keys  of  the  monastery. 

"The  elector  made  over  the  convent  to  the 
university,  and  desired  Luther  to  continue 
to  reside  in  it.  The  abode  of  the  monks 
was  ere  long  to  become  the  home  of  a  Chris- 
tian family. 

"When  Luther's  heart  first  turned  to 
Catherine  Bora,  his  scruples  and  the  thought 
of  the  calumnies  which  such  a  step  would 
occasion  hindered  him.  After  much  prayer 
and  reflection,  however,  he  resolved  upon 
this  important  step.  Marriage  he  looked 
upon  as  God's  appointment,  and  he  desired 
to  have  nothing  left  of  his  papistic  life. 

" '  If  that  monk  marries,'  said  a  legal 
friend,  'he  will  cause  men  and  devils  to 
shout  with  laughter,  and  will  bring  ruin 
upon  all  that  he  has  hitherto  effected.' 

"This  remark  was  repeated  to  Luther, 
and  it  had  a  contrary  effect  from  what 
might  have  been  expected.  To  brave  the 


320  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

world,  the  devil  and  his  enemies,  and,  by 
an  act  in  man's  judgment  the  most  likely 
to  ruin  the  Reformation,  to  make  it  evident 
that  its  triumph  was  not  to  be  ascribed  to 
him,  was  the  very  thing  he  most  of  all  de- 
sired. Accordingly,  lifting  up  his  head,  he 
boldly  replied,  '  I'll  do  it !  I'll  content  my 
father  and  marry  Catherine.'  His  father 
had  been  urging  him  to  marry. 

"  By  his  marriage  Luther  separated  him- 
self more  certainly  from  Home.  No  sooner 
had  the  ceremony  been  performed  than  all 
Christendom  was  aroused  by  the  report  of 
it,  and  on  all  sides  calumnies  were  heaped 
upon  him.  At  first  Luther  was  disturbed 
by  this,  but  before  long  he  felt  that  the 
opposition  of  men  was  one  mark  of  God's 
approval.  He  was  now  forty-two  years  of 
age.  Catherine  had  passed  two  years  at 
Wittemberg  since  leaving  the  convent. 

"  The  marriage  was  a  happy  one,  and  the 
charms  of  domestic  life  soon  dispelled  the 
clouds  raised  around  him  by  the  wrath  of 
his  adversaries.  His  Ketha,  as  he  called 
his  wife  tenderly,  comforted  him  when  cast 
down  by  reciting  passages  of  the  Bible,  re- 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  321 

lieving  him  from  the  cares  of  the  household, 
sitting  by  him  in  his  intervals  of  leisure, 
while  she  worked  his  portrait  in  embroidery 
and  amused  him  by  the  simplicity  of  her 
questions.  A  sort  of  dignity  seems  to  have 
marked  her  deportment,  for  Luther  occasion- 
ally spoke  of  her  as  '  My  Lord  Catherine.' 
His  manners  became  more  playful  under  her 
influence,  and  from  that  time  continued  that 
happy  flow  of  spirits  which  was  never  lost. 

"  The  new  elector,  John,  brother  of  Fred- 
erick, courageously  interested  himself  in  re- 
ligious matters,  and  ere  long  the  young 
landgrave  boldly  raised  his  head  and  tried 
to  imitate  Luther  in  zeal  for  the  gospel. 
God  was  multiplying  external  supports. 
Prussia  unfurled  the  standard  of  the  gos- 
pel. Thus,  in  place  of  the  cautious  Fred- 
erick, three  princes  of  bold  and  decided 
character — John  of  Saxony,  Philip  of  Hesse 
and  Albert  of  Prussia — were  openly  taking- 
part  with  the  Reformation.  Luther  besought 
the  elector  to  establish  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  in  all  the  churches,  the  place  of  the 
ministrations  of  the  Romish  priests,  and  to 
direct  a  general  visitation  of  the  churches. 

21 


322  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"  Rome  now  decided  on  making  one  more 
effort.  The  pope  and  the  emperor  wrote 
threatening  letters,  and  the  imperial  gov- 
ernment prepared  to  crush  the  Reformation 
at  the  approaching  diet.  But  the  diet  met 
and  adjourned  without  a  decisive  blow,  and 
the  great  stroke  was  postponed  until  it  re- 
assembled at  Spires. 

"The  enemies  of  the  Reformation  inces- 
santly labored  against  the  cause  of  truth, 
imploring  the  emperor's  help.  The  empe- 
ror, Charles  V.,  at  Seville,  was  on  the  eve 
of  marriage  with  a  princess  of  Portugal,  and 
the  banks  of  the  Guadalquiver  resounded 
with  joyous  festivity.  A  dazzling  train  of 
nobles  and  vast  crowds  of  people  thronged 
the  ancient  city.  The  pomps  and  ceremo- 
nies of  the  Church  were  displayed  under  the 
roof  of  its  noble  cathedral.  A  legate  from 
the  pope  officiated,  and  never  before,  even 
under  Arabian  rule,  had  Andalusia  wit- 
nessed a  spectacle  of  more  magnificence. 

"The  rulers  took  counsel  together  and 
presented  a  memorial  to  Charles,  saying 
that  the  detestable  doctrine  of  Luther  \yas 
making  astonishing  progress.  Duke  Henry 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  323 

of  Brunswick  hastened  from  Germany  to 
Charles,  begging  him  to  save  the  Church 
and  the  empire  from  the  attacks  of  the 
Wittemberg  monk.  The  emperor  resolved 
upon  immediate  measures. 

"  Luther  attentively  watched  these  move- 
ments, and  sought  a  strength  far  above  the 
strength  of  men.  Writing  to  Frederick 
Myconius,  he  said,  'Satan  is  raging;  un- 
godly priests  take  counsel  together,  and  we 
are  threatened  with  war.  Exhort  the  peo- 
ple to  contend  earnestly  before  the  throne 
of  the  Lord,  by  faith  and  prayer,  that  our 
adversaries,  being  overcome  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  may  be  constrained  to  peace.  The 
very  first  thing  we  have  to  do  is  to  pray ; 
let  the  people  know  that  they  are  at  this 
hour  exposed  to  the  edge  of  the  sword  and 
the  rage  of  the  devil.  Let  them  pray.' 
Thus  everything  indicated  a  decisive  con- 
flict, 

"And  now  the  diet  of  Spires  is  opened, 
and  the  Reformation  is  about  to  take  a  new 
step :  it  is  about  to  become  an  entity.  The 
formal  establishment  of  Protestantism  is  the 
great  fact  that  prevails  in  the  history  of  the 


324  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

Reformation  from  1526  to  1529.  It  was  not 
at  this  diet,  held  in  1526,  that  the  PROTEST 
was  made,  but  at  that  held  in  1529. 

"Suddenly  affairs  took  a  different  turn, 
and,  instead  of  conflict,  years  of  peace  for 
the  Reformation  followed.  This  was  the 
result  of  political  measures  which  it  would 
take  me  too  long  to  explain. 

"The  diet  of  1526  forms  an  important 
epoch  in  history :  religious  liberty  boldly 
took  its  stand  in  front  of  Romish  despotism, 
and  the  controlling  power  of  the  Middle 
Ages  was  shaken.  In  1529  was  held  the 
diet  which  revoked  the  decisions  of  1526, 
and  here  was  made  that  protest  which  orig- 
inated the  name  of  Protestants,  still  applied 
to  the  members  of  the  Reformed  churches. 

"From  1526  to  1529  there  was  a  calm 
in  Germany ;  the  Reformation  profited-  by 
this  calm  to  organize,  to  strengthen  and  to 
extend  itself.  It  needed  some  years  of  re- 
pose, and  it  could  not  enjoy  peace  unless 
its  great  enemies  were  at  war  with  one  an- 
other. We  cannot  enter  upon  all  these  po- 
litical agitations.  In  the  midst  of  them 
Philip  of  Hesse  stands  forth  as  the  most 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  325 

enterprising  of  all  the  evangelical  princes. 
He  resolved  to  devote  himself  to  the  ref- 
ormation of  his  hereditary  states. 

"At  the  end  of  these  three  years  the  gos- 
pel tree  had  struck  its  roots  deep.  Then 
came  the  diet  (of  1529)  which  by  its  decis- 
ions separated  Rome  from  the  gospel.  The 
friends  of  the  gospel  appealed  from  the  diet 
to  the  word  of  God,  and  from  the  emperor 
Charles  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  King  of  kings 
and  the  Lord  of  lords.  A  grand  page  was 
printed  on  the  world's  history  the  day  those 
courageous  men  boldly  spoke  out  their  pro- 
test, finishing  with  the  announcement  that 
they  intended  quitting  Spires  on  the  morrow. 

"A  Romish  historian  maintains  that  the 
word  '  Protestant '  signifies  '  enemy  of  the 
emperor  and  of  the  pope.'  True  it  is  that 
Protestants  throw  off  man's  authority  if  it 
comes  in  conflict  with  the  word  of  God, 
and  place  Jesus  Christ  on  the  throne  of 
the  Church. 

"As  Ferdinand  had  not  heard  the  protest 
of  the  19th  of  April,  a  deputation  of  the 
evangelical  states  went  the  next  day  to  pre- 
sent it  to  him.  This  brother  of  Charles  V. 


326  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

received  it  at  first,  but  immediately  after 
desired  to  return  it.  Then  was  witnessed 
a  strange  scene,  the  king  refusing  to  keep 
the  protest,  and  the  deputies  to  take  it  back. 
At  last  the  latter,  out  of  respect,  received  it 
from  Ferdinand's  hands,  but  they  boldly 
laid  it  upon  the  table  and  directly  quitted 
the  hall.  The  king  ordered  it  carried  back 
to  the  Protestants,  but  the  protest  had  been 
registered  in  the  annals  of  the  world,  and 
nothing  could  erase  it.  Liberty  of  thought 
and  freedom  of  conscience  had  been  con- 
quered for  ages  to  come. 

"  While  the  Christians  were  filled  with 
joy,  their  enemies  were  frightened  at  their 
own  work  and  made  attempts  at  reconcilia- 
tion ;  but  the  fanatics  of  the  Romish  party 
rejected  all  compromise,  and  desired  only 
the  re-establishment  of  the  absolute  power 
of  the  papacy.  The  papist  princes  flung 
themselves  headlong  into  a  path  filled  with 
dangers,  and  nothing  was  left  for  the  evan- 
gelical Christians  to  do  but  to  fall  upon  their 
knees  and  cry  to  the  Lord. 

"The  last  sitting  of  the  diet  took  place 
on  the  24th  of  April.  The  princes  renewed 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  327 

their  protest,  in  which  fourteen  free  and  im- 
perial cities  joined,  and  they  next  thought 
of  giving  their  appeal  a  legal  form.  After 
doing  this  they  left  Spires  and  returned  to 
their  own  homes. 

"  Melanchthon,  persuaded  that  the  two  par- 
ties were  about  to  draw  the  sword,  returned  to 
Witteinberg  greatly  agitated  and  exhausted, 
telling  his  friends  that  a  great  event  had  just 
taken  place  at  Spires — an  event  full  of  dan- 
ger, not  only  to  the  empire,  but  to  religion 
itself.  In  view  of  it  he  used  strong  lan- 
guage, saying,  'All  the  pains  of  hell  op- 
press me.'  It  was  Melanchthon's  greatest 
affliction  that  these  evils  were  attributed  to 
him.  Luther  did  not  take  this  gloomy  view 
of  affairs,  but  he  was  far  from  understanding 
the  force  of  the  protest.  '  The  diet,'  he  said, 
'  has  come  to  an  end  almost  without  results, 
except  that  those  who  scourge  Jesus  Christ 
have  not  been  able  to  satisfy  their  fury.' 

"  The  Reformation  had  now  taken  a  bod- 
ily form.  It  was  Luther  alone  who  had  said, 
'  No '  at  the  diet  of  Worms,  but  churches 
and  ministers,  princes  and  people,  said  '  No  ' 
at  the  diet  of  Spires. 


328  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

"As  might  be  expected,  the  indignation 
of  the  papal  adherents  increased,  and  Charles 
V.  set  about  preparing  a  suitable  antidote 
for  the  pestilential  disease  with  which  the 
Germans  were  attacked.  The  pope  tried  to 
persuade  all  the  other  princes  of  Christen- 
dom to  combine  in  this  crusade.  After  hav- 
ing entered  their  protest  at  Spires,  it  was 
necessary  for  the  evangelicals  to  think  how 
they  could  maintain  it.  The  Reformers  held 
a  conference,  at  which  they  strove  for  union, 
for  they  felt  the  necessity  of  it;  but  their 
views  greatly  differed,  and  it  was  hard  to 
avoid  discord.  Philip  invited  the  theolo- 
gians one  after  another  into  his  closet;  he 
warned,  exhorted  and  entreated  them  to  re- 
move all  discord  out  of  their  ranks.  Never 
had  general  at  the  head  of  an  army  taken 
such  pains  to  win  a  battle. 

"  The  doctrine  that  divided  them  was  the 
presence  of  Christ  in  the  sacrament.  When 
Luther  expressed  his  views,  Zwingle  in  great 
excitement  told  him  that  he  was  re-establish- 
ing popery.  At  their  final  meeting  Zwingle 
said,  '  Let  us  confess  our  union  in  all  things 
in  which  we  agree ;  and,  as  for  the  rest,  let 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  329 

us  remember  that  we  are  brothers.'  But 
when  he  offered  Luther  the  hand  of  fellow- 
ship, it  was  rejected.  The  Wittemberg  doc- 
tors, Luther,  Melanchthon  and  others,  were 
convinced  that  their  peculiar  views  about 
the  presence  of  Christ  were  essential  to  sal- 
vation, and  they  considered  all  those  who 
rejected  them  as  without  the  pale  of  the 
faith.  Afterward  Melanchthon 's  views  more 
nearly  coincided  with  those  held  by  Zwingle. 
The  landgrave  grew  very  indignant  as  Lu- 
ther continued  firm.  The  Hessian  divines 
united  their  entreaties  with  Philip,  and  at 
last  Luther's  heart  was  softened,  and  he 
showed  more  Christian  charity,  though  he 
could  not  change  his  views ;  he  ever  con- 
tinued in  the  belief  that  Christ's  body  and 
blood  were  present  in  the  eucharist. 

"At  last  unity  in  diversity  was  obtained. 
Fifteen  articles  were  committed  to  paper  and 
signed.  These  articles,  framed  at  the  Mar- 
burg conference,  were  the  first  bulwark  erect- 
ed in  common  by  the  Reformers  against  Rome. 
Philip  of  Hesse  had  not  labored  in  vain. 

"  Deep  dejection  and  anguish  of  spirit 
took  hold  of  Luther  as  he  left  Marburg. 


330  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

He  had  there  violated  the  law  of  Christian 
charity,  and  he  suffered  the  penalty.  As  for 
Zwingle,  he  quitted  Marburg  in  alarm  at 
Luther's  intolerance.  '  Lutheranism,'  he 
wrote  to  the  landgrave,  '  will  lie  upon  us  as 
heavily  as  popery.' 

"  Then  came  the  cruel  emperor,  landing 
at  Genoa  with  all  the  pomp  of  a  conqueror 
and  uttering  horrible  threats.  This  was  in 
September,  1529.  On  his  way  from  Genoa 
to  Bologna  he  was  overtaken  by  three  Prot- 
estant deputies,  plain  Germans,  who  pre- 
sented a  singular  contrast  in  the  midst  of 
Spanish  pomp  and  Romish  fervor  by  which 
the  youthful  Charles  was  surrounded.  They 
presented  to  the  emperor  the  famous  protest 
of  Spires.  Charles  took  no  notice  of  them 
except  to  order  one  of  his  secretaries  to  tell 
them  that  they  should  have  an  answer  at 
pome  future  time.  They  waited  from  the 
22d  of  September  until  the  12th  of  Octo- 
ber, and  then  his  answer  was  far  from  pleas- 
ing. Besides  giving  them  a  threatening 
reply,  he  was  pleased  to  put  them  under 
arrest,  desiring  in  this  way  to  show  his  con- 
tempt and  also  to  frighten  the  princes. 


MR.   ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  331 

"  The  emperor  and  the  pope  soon  met, 
Charles  falling  on  his  knees  and  kissing 
the  pontiff's  feet.  The  young  and  politic 
emperor  and  the  old  and  crafty  pontiff  had 
many  matters  to  settle ;  the  most  important 
was  the  Reformation.  Charles  promised  to 
constrain  the  heretics  by  violence,  while  the 
pope  should  summon  all  the  other  princes  to 
his  aid.  '  To  overcome  Germany  by  force, 
and  then  erase  it  from  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  is  the  sole  object  of  the  Italians,' 
they  wrote  from  Venice  to  the  elector. 

"After  this  Charles  held  at  Augsburg  his 
famous  diet,  at  which  was  presented  the 
Augsburg  Confession,  framed  by  Melanch- 
thon.  This  is  the  standard  of  the  Lutheran 
churches.  The  day  on  which  it  was  read 
before  that  august  assembly  of  the  mighty 
of  earth  was  the  greatest  day  of  the  Refor- 
mation, and  the  Confession  will  ever  remain 
one  of  the  masterpieces  of  the  human  mind 
enlightened  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  While 
firmly  resisting  error,  Melanchthon  avoided 
as  far  as  possible  all  that  might  irritate  his 
adversaries,  thus  showing  the  wisdom  of  the 
serpent  and  the  harmlessness  of  the  dove. 


332  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

In  regard  to  the  divine  right  of  the  pope 
Melanchthon  was  silent,  and  also  on  other 
points.  His  great  business  was  to  justify 
the  renovated,  and  not  to  attack  the  de- 
formed, Church.  But  perhaps  a  bolder 
courage  would  have  secured  more  exten- 
sive conquests. 

"The  Confession  produced  a  great  effect 
in  other  countries.  Charles  sent  copies  to 
all  the  courts;  it  was  translated  into  French, 
Italian,  and  even  into  Spanish  and  Portu- 
guese. It  seems  strange  that  the  emperor 
would  thus  spread  it  through  the  earth,  for 
it  gave  Europe  a  sounder  idea  of  the  Refor- 
mation and  prepared  the  most  distant  coun- 
tries to  receive  the  seeds  of  the  gospel. 

"  The  evangelical  history  of  the  Reforma- 
tion is  here  nearly  finished,  and  the  diplo- 
matic history  of  legal  Protestantism  begins. 
There  will  still  be  conferences  and  discus- 
sions, there  will  still  be  leagues  and  combats ; 
but  the  great  movement  is  accomplished, 
the  cause  of  faith  is  won  by  faith.  Evan- 
gelical doctrine  has  taken  root  in  the  world, 
and  neither  the  storms  of  men  nor  the  pow- 
ers of  hell  will  ever  be  able  to  tear  it  up." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  CLOSING  SCENES  OF  LUTHER'S  LIFE. 


evening  we  come  to  the  closing 
scenes  of  Luther's  life,"  remarked  Mr. 
Arnold  as  the  family  gathered  around  him. 
"  The  enemies  of  Luther  seem  to  have  been 
anxious  for  his  death,  thinking  that  if  he 
were  out  of  the  way  Melanchthon  and  the 
other  leaders  could  be  managed.  In  1545, 
while  he  was  yet  alive,  his  enemies  published 
a  pamphlet  at  Naples  giving  an  account  of 
his  death. 

"  Philip  of  Hesse  sent  Luther  a  copy  of 
this  scandalous  production.  It  stated  that 
Luther  spent  his  last  moments  in  drunken- 
ness and  in  cursing  the  pope  ;  that  before  he 
died  he  ordered  himself  to  be  placed  upon 
the  altar  and  commanded  his  followers  to 
worship  him  as  a  god;  that  when  he  was 
receiving  the  sacrament  the  consecrated  wa- 
fer leaped  out  of  his  stomach  ;  that  when  he 
was  buried  there  was  such  a  frightful  storm 

333 


334  ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

of  thunder  and  lightning  that  the  people 
thought  the  day  of  judgment  had  come; 
that  the  morning  after  his  burial  the  tomb 
was  found  empty,  and  that  such  a  strong 
stench  of  brimstone  issued  from  the  grave 
that  no  person  could  go  near  it ;  and  that  in 
consequence  of  these  things  many  who  had 
left  the  Romish  Church  returned  to  her 
communion. 

"  Luther  had  throughout  his  life  refused 
the  aid  of  the  secular  arm,  as  his  desire  was 
that  the  truth  should  triumph  only  by  the 
power  of  God.  However,  in  1546,  in  spite 
of  his  efforts,  war  was  on  the  point  of  break- 
ing out,  and  it  was  the  will  of  God  that  his 
servant  should  be  spared  this  painful  spec- 
tacle. 

"The  counts  of  Mansfield,  within  whose 
territories  Luther  was  born,  having  become 
involved  in  a  quarrel  with  their  subjects  and 
with  several  lords  of  the  neighborhood,  asked 
the  Reformer  to  come  and  help  restore  peace. 

"  Luther  was  now  sixty-three  years  old, 
and  he  was  subject  to  frequent  attacks  of 
dizziness,  but  he  never  spared  himself.  Im- 
mediately he  answered  the  call,  taking  with 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  335 

him  his  friend  the  theologian  Jonas,  who 
had  been  with  him  at  the  diet  of  Worms, 
and  his  two  sons,  Martin  and  Paul,  the  for- 
mer now  fifteen  and  the  latter  thirteen  years 
of  age.  He  was  respectfully  received  by  the 
counts  of  Mansfield,  attended  by  a  hundred 
and  twelve  horsemen.  He  entered  the  town 
of  Eisleben,  in  which  he  was  born,  and  in 
which  he  was  about  to  die.  That  same  even- 
ing he  was  very  unwell,  and  was  near  faint- 
ing. Nevertheless,  he  took  courage,  preached 
four  times,  attended  twenty  conferences,  re- 
ceived the  sacrament  twice  and  ordained  two 
ministers.  He  dined  regularly  with  the 
counts.  It  was  plain  from  his  conversation 
that  the  Holy  Scriptures  daily  grew  more 
important  in  his  eyes.  '  Cicero  asserts  in 
his  letters,'  he  said  to  the  counts  two  days 
before  his  death,  '  that  no  one  can  comprp- 
hend  the  science  of  government  who  has  not 
occupied  for  twenty  years  an  important  place 
in  the  republic.  And,  I  for  my  part,  tell 
you  that  no  one  has  understood  the  Holy 
Scriptures  who  lias  not  governed  the  churches 
for  a  hundred  years,  with  the  prophets,  the 
apostles  and  Jesus  Christ.'  After  saying 


336  MB.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

these  words  he  wrote  them  in  Latin,  laid 
them  upon  the  table,  and  then  retired  to  his 
room.  He  had  no  sooner  reached  it  than  he 
felt  that  his  last  hour  was  near.  '  When  I 
have  set  my  good  lords  at  one,'  he  said  to 
those  about  him,  'I  will  return  home  to 
die.' 

"The  next  day  Luther's  weakness  increased. 
The  count  of  Mansfield  and  the  prior  of  An- 
halt,  filled  with  anxiety,  came  to  see  him. 
'  Pray  do  not  come  to  the  conference,'  they 
said.  He  rose  and  walked  up  and  down  the 
room,  and  exclaimed,  '  Here,  at  Eisleben, 
I  was  baptized ;  will  it  be  my  lot  also  to  die 
here  ?'  A  little  while  after,  he  took  the  sac- 
rament. Many  of  his  friends  attended  him, 
and  sorrowfully  felt  that  soon  they  would 
see  him  no  more.  One  of  them  said  to  him, 
1  Shall  we  know  each  other  in  the  eternal 
assembly  of  the  blessed?  We  shall  all  be 
so  changed !' — '  Adam,'  replied  Luther,  '  had 
never  seen  Eve,  and  yet  when  he  awoke  he 
did  not  say,  "  Who  art  thou  ?"  but  "  Thou 
art  flesh  of  my  flesh."  By  what  means  did 
he  know  that  she  was  taken  from  his  flesh, 
and  not  from  a  stone  ?  He  knew  this  be- 


ME.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  337 

cause  he  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 
So,  likewise,  in  the  heavenly  Paradise  we 
shall  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  we 
shall  recognize  father,  mother  and  friends 
better  than  Adam  recognized  Eve.' 

"  Having  thus  spoken,  Luther  retired  into 
his  chamber  and,  according  to  his  daily  cus- 
tom, even  in  winter,  opened  his  window, 
looked  up  to  heaven  and  began  to  pray. 
'  Heavenly  Father,'  he  prayed, '  since,  in  thy 
great  mercy,  thou  hast  revealed  to  me  the 
downfall  of  the  pope,  since  the  day  of  thy 
glory  is  not  far  off,  and  since  the  light  of 
the  gospel,  which  is  now  rising  over  the 
earth,  is  to  be  diffused  through  the  whole 
world,  keep  to  the  end,  through  thy  good- 
ness, the  Church  of  my  dear  native  country, 
save  it  from  falling,  preserve  it  in  the  true 
profession  of  thy  word,  and  let  all  men  know 
that  it  is  indeed  for  thy  work  that  thou  hast 
sent  me.' 

"  Having  finished  his  prayer,  Luther  re- 
turned to  his  friends,  and  about  ten  o'clock 
at  night  retired  to  bed.  Just  as  he  reached 
the  threshold  of  his  bedroom  he  stood  still 
and  said  in  Latin, '  In  manus  tuas  commendo 

22 


338  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

spiritum  meum :  redemisti  me,  Deus  veri- 
tatis!'" 

In  a  low  voice  Stephen  translated  these 
words  for  Maggie,  for,  looking  at  her,  he 
saw  tears  trickling  down  her  cheeks  : 

"  Into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit ; 
thou  hast  redeemed  me,  O  God  of  truth !" 

"  The  18th  of  February,  the  day  of  Lu- 
ther's departure,  was  now  at  hand.  He  had 
spent  twenty  days  in  Eisleben.  About  one 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  sensible  that  the  chill 
of  death  was  creeping  over  him,  Luther  called 
Jonas  and  his  faithful  servant  Ambrose. 
'  Make  a  fire,'  he  said  to  Ambrose.  Then 
he  cried  out,  'O  Lord  my  God,  I  am  in 
great  pain  !  What  a  weight  upon  my  chest ! 
I  shall  never  leave  Eisleben.'  Jonas  said  to 
him,  'Our  heavenly  Father  will  come  to 
help  you  for  the  love  of  Christ,  which  you 
have  faithfully  preached  to  men.'  Luther 
then  got  up,  took  some  turns  up  and  down 
his  room,  and,  looking  up  to  heaven,  ex- 
claimed again,  *  Into  thy  hands  I  commend 
my  spirit:  thou  hast  redeemed  me,  O  God 
of  truth !' 

"Jonas  immediately  sent  for  the  doctors, 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  339 

Luther's  sons  and  other  friends.  In  great 
alarm  they  hastened  to  the  spot.  '  I  am 
dying,'  said  the  sick  man. — '  No,'  said  Jo- 
nas ;  '  you  are  now  in  a  perspiration,  and 
will  soon  be  better.' — '  It  is  the  sweat  of 
death,'  said  Luther;  'I  am  nearly  at  my 
last  breath.'  He  was  thoughtful  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  said,  with  faltering  voice, 
'  O  my  heavenly  Father,  the  God  and  Fa- 
ther of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  God  of 
all  consolation,  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast 
revealed  to  me  th,y  well-beloved  Son,  Jesus 
Christ,  in  whom  I  have  believed,  whom  I 
have  preached,  whom  I  have  confessed,  whom 
the  pope  and  all  the  ungodly  insult,  blas- 
pheme and  persecute,  but  whom  I  love  and 
adore  as  my  Saviour.  O  Jesus  Christ,  my 
Saviour,  I  commit  my  soul  to  thee.  O  my 
heavenly  Father,  I  must  quit  this  body,  but 
I  believe  with  perfect  assurance  that  I  shall 
dwell  eternally  with  thee,  and  that  none 
shall  pluck  me  out  of  thy  hands.' 

"  Luther  now  remained  silent  for  a  little 
while ;  his  prayer  seemed  to  have  exhaust- 
ed him.  But  presently  his  countenance 
again  grew  bright;  a  holy  joy  shone  in  his 


340  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

features,  and  he  said,  with  fullness  of  faith, 
'God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth 
in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlast- 
ing life.'  A  moment  after  he  uttered,  as  if 
sure  of  victory,  this  word  of  David :  '  He 
that  is  our  God  is  the  God  of  salvation, 
and  unto  God  the  Lord  belong  the  issues 
of  death.'  Medicine  was  offered  him,  but 
he  refused  it,  saying,  *  I  am  departing ;  I 
am  about  to  yield  up  my  spirit.'  And  then 
three  times  he  exclaimed,  '  Father,  into  thy 
hands  I  commit  my  spirit:  thou  hast  re- 
deemed me,  O  God  of  truth !  Thou*  hast 
redeemed  me,  O  God  of  truth !'  He  then 
closed  his  eyes.  They  touched  him,  moved 
him,  called  to  him,  but  he  made  no  answer. 
In  vain  they  applied  hot  cloths  and  tried  to 
revive  him  with  tonics.  He  remained  mo- 
tionless. All  who  stood  round  him  were 
deeply  affected.  His  two  sons,  kneeling  and 
in  tears,  cried  to  God  to  spare  their  father ; 
the  faithful  servant  was  in  great  grief;  the 
count  of  Mansfield  thought  of  the  troubles 
which  Luther's  death  might  bring  upon  the 
empire;  and  Jonas,  a  little  apart  from  the 


MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES.  341 

rest,  felt  heartbroken  at  the  thought  of  the 
terrible  blow  impending  over  the  Reforma- 
tion. He  wished  to  receive  from  the  dying 
Luther  a  last  testimony.  He  therefore  rose 
and  went  up  to  his  friend,  and,  bending  over 
him,  said,  '  Reverend  father,  in  your  dying 
hour  do  you  rest  on  Jesus  Christ  and  stead- 
fastly rely  on  the  doctrine  which  you  have 
preached?'  'Yes/  said  Luther  so  that  all 
who  were  present  could  hear  him.  This 
was  his  last  word. 

"  The  pallor  of  death  overspread  Luther's 
countenance ;  his  forehead,  his  hands  and 
his  feet  turned  cold.  They  addressed  him 
by  his  baptismal  name,  '  Doctor  Martin,' 
but  he  made  no  response.  He  drew  a  deep 
breath,  and  fell  asleep  in  the  Lord.  It  was 
between  two  and  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

" '  Truly,'  said  Jonas,  to  whom  we  are 
indebted  for  these  particulars,  *  thou  lettest, 
Lord,  thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  and  thou 
hast  accomplished  for  him  the  promise  which 
thou  madest  us,  and  which  he  himself  wrote 
the  other  day  in  a  Bible  presented  to  one  of 
his  friends :  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 


342  MR.  ARNOLD'S  STORIES. 

If  a  man  keep  my  sayings,  he  shall  never 
see  death." 

"Thus  passed  Luther  into  the  presence 
of  his  Master,  in  full  reliance  on  redemp- 
tion, in  calm  faith  in  the  triumph  of  truth. 

"  Luther  is  no  longer  here  below,  but 
Jesus  Christ  is  with  his  people  evermore  to 
the  end  of  the  world,  and  the  work  which 
Luther  had  begun  lives,  and  is  still  advan- 
cing, and  will  extend  to  all  the  ends  of  the 
earth." 


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